Global Continuous Improvement

Who we are:

IRCA Group, an Advent portfolio company, was founded in Italy in 1919, and it is a leading international B2B provider of high-quality semi-finished ingredients such as chocolate, decorations, creams, inclusions, nuts and pistachios, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and other essential solutions for industrial clients or other independent artisanal producers.

With more than 2.400 employees, 19 production facilities worldwide, and €1.4 billion in revenues, IRCA Group has a solid track record of growth and international expansion.

 

What do we offer:

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• A dynamic, multicultural, and inclusive environment with exposure to global projects and stakeholders
  
• The opportunity to shape and lead a transformational Continuous Improvement journey at a global scale
  
• International career development opportunities
  
• Exposure to senior leadership and the possibility to influence strategic business decisions
  

The role:

We are looking for an experienced and results-driven Global Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence Director to lead the design, deployment, and sustainability of IRCA Group’s global Continuous Improvement (CI) strategy.

 

Reporting to the Global COO, the successful candidate will define and drive the Group’s CI roadmap, embedding a culture of operational excellence across manufacturing sites and supply chain operations. The role will be instrumental in delivering productivity improvements, cost savings, capability building, and cultural transformation throughout the organization.

 

We are seeking a highly motivated CI leader with proven experience in implementing global Continuous Improvement programs within international manufacturing environments, ideally through TPM, IWS, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.

 

The selected candidate will lead the development and execution of the company’s mid-to-long-term CI strategy across the end-to-end supply chain, while supporting the delivery of current performance improvement and savings initiatives. They will be accountable for the overall success of the CI program, ensuring that a continuous improvement mindset and culture become embedded in the daily operations of the organization.

 

Working closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, R&D, HR, Finance, and Plant Leadership teams, the Global Continuous Improvement Director will drive sustainable performance improvement and support the achievement of IRCA Group’s strategic objectives.

 

The position is preferably based in Italy, at IRCA Group’s Headquarters, with regular interaction and collaboration across the Group’s international operations.

What will you do:

Continuous Improvement Strategy & Governance:

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• Define and deploy the Group-wide Continuous Improvement strategy aligned with business goals and operational priorities
  
• Establish governance, standards, methodologies, and KPIs to ensure a consistent CI approach across all regions and manufacturing sites
  
• Drive the deployment of TPM/IWS, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies across the organization
  
• Develop a multi-year CI roadmap supporting productivity, quality, safety, service, and cost excellence objectives
  

Operational Excellence & Performance Improvement:

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• Identify, prioritize, and execute improvement initiatives that deliver measurable operational and financial results
  
• Own the CI savings pipeline and ensure achievement of productivity and cost-saving targets
  
• Monitor the performance of CI initiatives and ensure sustainability of implemented improvements
  
• Benchmark internal and external best practices to continuously enhance operational performance
  

Capability Building & Cultural Transformation:

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• Develop and embed a culture of Continuous Improvement and servant leadership throughout the organization
  
• Coach, mentor, and develop leaders and frontline teams on Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, problem-solving, and change management methodologies
  
• Build organizational capabilities by creating training frameworks and CI development programs
  
• Drive employee engagement and ownership of improvement initiatives at all levels of the organization
  

Program Deployment & Leadership:

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• Lead strategic pilot programs and lighthouse projects to demonstrate and scale best practices
  
• Partner with plant leadership teams to deploy TPM pillars and establish site-level improvement plans
  
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