Operations Support Manager

About the Role

Barry Callebaut is at the heart and driving force of the cocoa and chocolate industry. We are looking for an Operations Support Manager in Lebbeke-Wieze, Belgium. Our extensive range of products and services covers everything from cocoa sourcing to fine chocolate creations, enjoyed by people of all ages around the world. We are passionate about our business and work hard every day to ensure there is enough chocolate to meet global demand.

The combined expertise of over 10,000 Barry Callebaut employees worldwide is essential to our success. Our international presence in the captivating world of cocoa-growing and chocolate-making provides a vibrant backdrop for a wide range of roles across various disciplines. Along with a shared passion for chocolate, Barry Callebaut employees embody our core corporate values daily—customer focus, entrepreneurship, integrity, and team spirit.

We are dedicated to ensuring that our employees possess the right skills, expertise, and deep understanding of our customers and their needs. Engaging and developing our people is key to our success. With such a broad business focus, career opportunities at Barry Callebaut span numerous functional areas.

Key Responsibilities Include

In support of the Operations Manager, you play a key role in promoting and implementing departmental policies and the smooth running of the daily operations. You step in seamlessly during his/her absence.

You are a key business partner, providing essential support and guidance to the team leaders in their daily operations.

By maintaining clear communication, collaboration, and consultation with your colleagues on a daily basis, you ensure continuity and efficiency within the department.

You serve as the crucial link that guarantees smooth operations and the achievement of departmental goals.

You take the lead in coordinating activities, and projects and resolving issues, always striving for the highest standards of quality and productivity.

With your proactive approach and excellent communication skills, you contribute to a positive and productive work environment.

• You are responsible for the daily coordination of all logistics operations, including returns, transfers, and storage. You collaborate with various departments (Transport, QA, Planning) to determine the final destination of products and ensure seamless end-to-end organization and communication. You manage the tank loader team, being your direct reports,  and you are responsible for  the maintenance budget for rolling equipment.
• As a role model for continuous improvement, you initiate and lead improvement projects and Root Cause Analyses (RCAs) in safety, quality, and productivity, working with a multidisciplinary team to fully implement solutions. You ensure the standardization of work methods and best practices across shifts by drafting SOPs/OPLs and organizing training sessions.
• You manage the staffing planning tool for a 0 to 3-month period to ensure efficient staffing, paying special attention to vacation periods and bridge days to minimize OEE losses due to staff shortages across the entire liquid department.
• You coordinate generic training sessions, such as HACCP, working at heights, and OPRPs, and maintain the skill matrix to ensure necessary training is provided.
• You support the Operations Manager by preparing team briefings, toolbox talks, and other communications. You take notes during daily operations meetings and communicate outcomes across the organization through POKA or via SOPs/OPLs.
• You act as the complete backup for the Operations Manager during his/her absence, assuming Operational responsibility when necessary. In these cases, you can be supported by another colleague with operational experience.

About You

• Master with 5 years experience in the food or pharmaceutical industry, preferably with a first solid experience in leading a team
• You are a fast learner with good analytical skills, which you are able to combine with a solution- and result-oriented approach
• Basic knowledge of continuous improvement (lean, kaizen, Six Sigma,…) is required
• Above all, you are a real people manager who can motivate and guide his/her team in a challenging but exciting environment
• You are flexible, eager to learn with good communication and influencing skills
• You have a drive for change and operational and cost  efficiency
• You are fluent in Dutch and English, oral and written
• Above all you are a real people manager who can motivate and guide a team towards the preferred results
• You are typically a flexible person, eager to learn, with good communication and interpersonal skills
• You are capable of convincing people to change and improve their ways of working
• You can lead a team through changes in the organization
• You can lead a team through changes in operational processes
• You have a habit for spotting improvements and can empower people to join you in this effort
• You are open for ideas and can drive people to work on them
• You are curious on understanding processes and how to optimize them