Director, Global Process Excellence

About The Role

We are currently hiring for a Global Process Excellence Director. Based in Zurich, this is a critical role in driving strategic initiatives across Barry Callebaut’s Global CSD functions, with a focus on delivering performance improvement and operational consistency, achieved through the development of robust processes and the enhancement of people capabilities across the organization.

This role leads and inspires the Global Process Excellence Team to design and implement end‑to‑end (“bean‑to‑finished product”) programs that aim to achieve Best‑in‑Class performance standards. It collaborates closely with key stakeholders, particularly within Operations Innovation & Strategy, Manufacturing Operations, and Customer Innovation & Technical Services, to generate impactful ideas, align on implementation strategies, and execute initiatives that deliver step‑change improvements in Safety, Quality, Service, and Productivity.

Additionally, the role contributes to the development of new technologies and capabilities for site‑level process engineering teams, supports the Engineering & Technical Innovation Team, and provides expertise for strategic growth initiatives such as footprint optimisation, M&A, and outsourcing projects.

• Identify opportunities to drive process productivity and quality improvements that impact customer product quality, manufacturing costs, MUV and CAPEX avoidance
• Drive global process standardisation and optimisation for current processes
• Develop global and local process technology capabilities and process excellence programmes
• Develop, implement and monitor improvement metrics
• Provide technical support and specific capabilities to sites (day‑to‑day, line start‑up, NPI)
• Initiate, organise and lead the Experts Communities Platforms to identify opportunities, develop new standard solutions, CBAs and manage company‑wide implementation
• Identify resources and capability gaps on sites and regional level, and provide recommendations on programmes to close identified gaps
• Identify and support plants/regions to build glide‑path steps to achieve BIC results in asset performance (OEE, debottlenecking), MUV savings, Process Capabilities
• Support manufacturing sites in day‑to‑day problem solving and new line start‑up through CQV and NPI processes
• Consult on new methods and technologies for technical innovations to improve asset process capabilities across cocoa, chocolate/compound technologies
• Roll out new methods and technologies, supporting plants on implementation and adoption of new processes to increase consistent process capabilities at critical variables
• Support strategic and growth initiatives, e.g. regional network footprint, M&A and outsourcing/partnership projects
• Provide expertise to support SN and capacity optimisation e.g. SKU line allocation, BCP, Run strategies

• University degree in engineering and/or MBA
• Minimum 10 years of operational experience (production, supply chain, maintenance) in an industrial and/or agri‑food environment
• Experience working within multinational environments, demonstrating a strong ability to navigate complex organisational structures and cross‑functional collaboration
• Deep expertise in product development, with a proven track record applying statistical process validation techniques to ensure robust, scalable, and high‑quality manufacturing outcomes
• Strong analytical mindset combined with hands‑on experience in process engineering and continuous improvement, enabling innovation and operational excellence
• Strong technical knowledge and understanding of food manufacturing processes and equipment
• Demonstrated practical experience in implementing change
• Exemplary leadership experience with the ability to motivate and inspire collaboration
• Project management experience
• Fluent written and spoken English; knowledge of additional languages is an asset

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC – Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

Director

Full‑time

Food and Beverage Services and Food and Beverage Manufacturing