About us FERRING GmbH is the German production company of the internationally operating and rapidly expanding FERRING Group with headquarter in Saint-Prex, Switzerland. In Kiel, we produce important products for the pharmaceutical market in the product areas of reproductive medicine, endocrinology, urology, paediatrics and gastroenterology. Using state-of-the-art production facilities, we mainly produce sterile dosage forms, specialising primarily in the field of peptide hormones. Research and development have a high priority in the FERRING Group and in our company philosophy. Ferring has its own subsidiaries in almost 60 countries and markets its products in 110 countries. Around 450 people are employed at our site in Kiel. Changing the lives of millions of people means that we are successful together. Our diverse backgrounds, experience, expertise and perspectives enable us to find solutions to even the most difficult problems. Imagine the power of your career when it's Ferring You. Ferring You For our local Site Leadership Team (SLT) for the Operational Excellence department, we are looking for an Associate Director Operational Excellence (m/f/d). In this role, you will report directly to the local Managing Director. This is a permanent full-time position. You will lead and grow the Operational Excellence group. You will be primarily responsible for the continuous development and implementation of a variety of methods (e.g. Lean and Six Sigma) as well as optimization and transformation projects in an international environment. You will lead a team of OpEx Business Partners, Lean experts and project managers, and work closely with a range of local and global functions to ensure the strategic vision and roadmap of the production site. In doing so, you will demonstrate your ability to develop operational action plans from strategies. Your contribution to making a difference. Lead the Operational Excellence group and all cross-functional initiatives to improve People, Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (PSQDC). In line with the value stream management approach, working with all local and global departments to implement necessary actions to improve operational performance at the plant level. Cooperative collaboration with cross-departmental, cross-functional and transversal interfaces. Enable and continuously develop the Project Management Office and the MES/eBR project managers as local contacts for Operational Excellence. Implement the latest best practices, tools, and programs in internal training and training for performance improvement and operational excellence. Implementation and ensuring the sustainability of the lean principle (e.g. GEMBA, problem-solving techniques, store floor management). Further development and introduction of the lean strategy and the electronic batch record in production. Ensuring the success of the introduction of the FERRING Lean Operating System (LOS) and the success of the Ferring Production System. Assisting the site manager in organizing improvement actions, selecting relevant projects to achieve Ferring's (Hoshin Kanri) business goals, and implementing and further developing the KPIs to measure performance. Implementation of special projects on the instructions of the managing director resulting from operational necessity. Management of the information system, data and applications for production. Anticipate and propose changes based on the analysis of future needs (GP and budget). Benchmarking different industries to define new goals and develop new solutions. Prepare and communicate regular updates, project status, reports and results to the management team and, if necessary, to the global organization. Management of the transfer and implementation of new processes, technologies and new equipment within the available time and budget. Your qualifications that enrich us. Degree in natural sciences, business administration or engineering. At least 10 years of professional experience in a lean management position in a manufacturing company, using the lean philosophy and tools, e.g. value stream mapping, process confirmation, GEMBA, problem solving, at best in a highly regulated industry such as the pharmaceutical industry or medical technology Successfully completed training as a Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt Experience in coaching executives and applying lean techniques Lean and Total Quality Management (TQA) expertise in project management and an excellent understanding of the various plant processes to manage cross-departmental projects Experience in performance management, e.g. implementation of KPIs, as well as experience in data analysis Demonstrated experience in leading teams Strong presentation, training and (intercultural) communication and coaching skills Persuasion combined with diplomacy and openness Ability to actively drive and implement change in operational excellence Direct and indirect driving of activities and management of projects and employees High degree of initiative and assertiveness as well as the willingness to take responsibility Absolutely trustworthy, proactive, loyal and a teamplayer Structured, goal-oriented way of working to keep momentum in long and complex projects Analytical skills, Data-driven and a digital mindset. Good Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Office skills are a must, and Power BI and other visualization tools are a plus Fluent in German and English (both spoken and written) People Come first at Ferring. Make your own contribution to helping people worldwide. Always communicate at eye level through flat hierarchies and be a full member of the Ferring family. At Ferring, you will have a wide range of opportunities for individual career planning and personal development in an international and innovative environment (e.g. strengths-based coaching). Reconcile your professional and private life through: Attractive working time models (for shift work and on-call duty, participation-based allowances) with the option of overtime compensation, part-time work, mobile working for positions where operational procedures allow, as well as 30 days holiday per year for full-time employment. Your performance pays off: Receive an attractive and performance-oriented remuneration for your commitment both in the collectively agreed area (based on the collective agreement of the IG BCE (chemical collective agreement of Schleswig-Holstein)) and in the non-tariff area as well as very good annual benefits (Christmas and holiday pay as well as an attractive bonus model). The pme family service offers you practical advice and support to help you harmonise your private and professional life. Building Families at Ferring (BFF): Family and starting a family is a matter close to Ferring's heart, which is why we support our employees on their own path to starting a family, depending on the type of employment. Benefit from Ferring ́s pension concept: Depending on contract, it includes capital-forming benefits, company pension schemes and working time accounts. A safety mindset is crucial for Ferring, we emphasise safety in the workplace, but also in terms of health: ergonomic advice, height-adjustable desks, workplace inspections and various health promotion offers (e.g. Hansefit). Do you come to work by bike, bus, train or car? We offer covered storage facilities for your bike, pay subsidies for local public transport and provide free parking spaces. Free hot and cold drinks and fresh fruit are a matter of course for us, but should not go unmentioned. Corporate benefits: Benefit from attractive offers from various companies. Become part of the Ferring family - surrounded by employees with t he same mission. Behind our purpose There`s you. Data processing We strive to build and maintain an inclusive and diverse workplace with equal opportunities and mutual respect for all employees regardless of their backgrounds and socioeconomic status. Ferring is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to providing all potential employees (m/f/d) with equal access to employment opportunities as part of the recruitment process. Ferring complies with and supports all national and local laws regarding anti-discrimination. Your data will be handled in accordance with the Group's compliance policies. For more information, please refer to the Recruiting Privacy Policy. Information for recruitment agencies Ferring International Center S.A. as well as all affiliated companies do not accept candidate proposals from unsolicited third parties. Candidates submitted by unsolicited third parties (such as recruitment agencies, headhunters, etc.) will not be included in the recruitment process and will not be considered further. Furthermore, no contractual relationship between Ferring and a third party shall arise from such a submission. Ferring is neither obliged nor willing to pay a fee to third parties who submit candidates in this way.