Key Responsabilities
The Operations Manager is a newly created function and oversees the daily management and development of the Customer Service, Warehouse and Procurement teams and related processes. The role is ensuring high-quality service, strategic procurement, and achievement of budgeted targets whilst servicing customers.This role is part of the Belgian Management Team and reports onto the Country Director.
As Operations Manager, you play a key role in everything touching Customer Services and Supply Chain (including Procurement, Warehousing) and Quality:
- Building an environment where individuals take personal responsibility for achieving goals. - Ensuring Swagelok Values & Behaviours are embedded in the work of the Operations team.
- Lead the Customer Service and Warehouse teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
- Strategic procurement & budget management, ensuring financial targets are met whilst optimizing the usage of resources and reducing financial risks.
- Drive customer satisfaction through exceptional service and handling of quotes, purchase orders, and shipping documentation.
- Collaborate with the Management Team to optimize operations, sales, supply chain and Supply Chain / warehouse efficiency.
- Address quality, safety, and environmental standards in line with market requirements.
Key Skills & Behaviours
Leadership
- Strong Leadership skills with focus on team growth & development
- Analytical and problem solving abilities for making fast and reliable decisions.
- Effective communication and cross-functional collaboration.
- High Level of Integrity
- Good Interpersonal Skills & Team player
Customer Service & Supply Chain
- Business Acumen & Customer Centric orientation
- Customer interaction & facilitation (including complaint management)
- Procurement practices (including Make To Order & Made To Stock) ideally at Strategic level
- Solid Negotiation skills
- Warehousing management
- Appetite for change management & continuous improvement methods such as Lean & Kaizen. Ability to suggest and deploy improvements and optimizations.
- Prior experience with SAP, CRM and BI tools considered as a plus
- Ability to deliver meaningful reporting at local and group level
Selected Leadership Competencies
- Leading Change
- Motivating & Engaging
- Planning & Prioritizing
- Directing & Guiding
- Integrity
- Business Sense
- Building Teams
- Coaching & Developing
Qualification & Experience
- Academic education at Bachelor or University level
- A minimum of 3 years in Leadership position
- A minimum of 5 years in an industrial setting (Technical field such as plant, machinery and/or components)
- Prior experience with Customer Service teams
- Prior experience in supply chain management (Warehousing & Procurement)
- Prior experience dealing with Financials considered as a plus
- Fluency in French or Dutch and English. Fluency in the 3 languages being a considerable advantage
Working Conditions
- Brussels periphery (Hybrid work according to business needs)
- Traveling within Belgium and occasionally to Denmark and the USA for business purposes.
- Candidates will preferably be employed / Independent status will be considered accordingly (would need to be on an exclusive basis)