Location: Alkmaar, Netherlands
Department: Operations
Responsible Executive: COO

Help us build the next level of Operational Excellence

At Afpro Filters, we are passionate about improving the way we work — from manufacturing and supply chain to procurement and customer service. As a leading international manufacturer and distributor of high-quality air filtration products, we operate across multiple countries and continuously strive to improve our performance, quality and customer experience.

We are looking for an Operations Excellence specialist who combines strong analytical thinking with a hands-on mindset. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to make a tangible impact and build a continuous improvement culture across an international organization.

Your role

As Operations Excellence Lead, you will drive continuous improvement across our Operations organization, including Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement and supporting functions.

This is not a role that is limited to dashboards and PowerPoint presentations. Especially during your first two years, you will be highly hands-on: working closely with teams on the shop floor, in warehouses and within planning and supply chain processes. You will learn our business from the inside, identify opportunities and turn them into measurable improvements.

You will build credibility by improving processes through action, while coaching teams and developing the foundations of a sustainable Operational Excellence culture.

Your first 1–2 years

Your initial focus will be to establish and embed a strong continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization.

You will:

• Work directly with manufacturing, warehouse, planning and supply chain teams to identify and implement improvements.
• Lead Kaizen workshops, Brown Paper sessions and structured problem-solving events.
• Lead DMAIC-based improvement projects, from local operational challenges to complex international transformations.
• Use data and analytics to identify bottlenecks, trends and improvement opportunities.
• Coach managers and operational teams in Lean and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Develop standards, best practices and ways of working that make improvement part of daily operations.
• Build a data-driven culture focused on quality, cost, delivery, productivity and customer service.

As the organization matures, your role will evolve toward broader ownership of the Operations Excellence strategy, improvement portfolio, governance and capability development.

What you will do

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement and supporting functions.
• Develop and implement Lean principles and the Afpro Operational Excellence framework.
• Facilitate Kaizen, Brown Paper and Value Stream Mapping workshops.
• Lead root-cause analysis and ensure improvements are sustained.
• Coach teams in structured problem solving and continuous improvement.

Business Analytics & Performance

• Develop and maintain operational dashboards and KPI reporting.
• Analyze operational performance and identify trends and opportunities.
• Build insightful reports and visualizations using Power BI and other analytical tools.
• Ensure data quality and integrity.
• Translate data into clear recommendations for operational and senior leadership.

Project Leadership

• Lead improvement projects focused on cost, quality, delivery, productivity and customer service.
• Manage DMAIC projects across departments and international locations.
• Bring cross-functional teams together to deliver sustainable results.
• Support strategic transformation and implementation initiatives.

Building a Continuous Improvement Culture

• Develop Lean and continuous improvement capabilities throughout Afpro.
• Train, mentor and coach managers and employees.
• Support the development and standardization of operational best practices.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and continuous learning across sites and countries.

What we’re looking for

You have a combination of analytical strength, operational understanding and the ability to get people moving.

Ideally, you bring:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Analytics, Engineering, Economics, Mathematics or a related field.
• Approximately 2–6 years of experience in Operations, Continuous Improvement, Business Analytics or Operational Excellence, preferably within manufacturing or distribution.
• Practical experience with Lean methodologies and structured problem solving.
• Experience with Kaizen, Brown Paper workshops or process improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma / DMAIC.
• Experience with Power BI or similar Business Intelligence tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, self-starting attitude and the ability to work independently.
• The confidence to work both strategically and hands-on on the operational floor.
• Willingness to travel internationally on a regular basis.

What will make you successful?

You enjoy being where the action is.

You can spend the morning analyzing a performance dashboard, the afternoon facilitating a Kaizen workshop on the production floor, and the next day coaching a management team or leading an international improvement project.

You don’t just identify problems — you help solve them.

You build trust through action, bring structure to complex challenges and know how to turn data and ideas into sustainable results. Most importantly, you want to help create an organization where Operational Excellence and continuous improvement become part of everyday work.

Join Afpro Filters

This is a unique opportunity to build something with lasting impact. You will have the freedom and responsibility to shape how continuous improvement is embedded across an international Operations organization, while working closely with colleagues across different functions, countries and cultures.

If you are ready to combine data, Lean, leadership and hands-on improvement to make a real difference, we would love to hear from you.

Interested?

Please send your application or get in touch with:

Sara Mokhtari
[email protected]