Processing Manager (Liquid Process & Spray Drying)

Are you ready for a new step in your career? Mead Johnson Nutrition is a long-standing multinational brand specializing in infant and child nutrition. Our company vision is to become the world's leading provider of scientifically backed child nutrition and specialized food products and services. At Mead Johnson Nutrition, we are deeply committed to creating nutritional brands and products that give babies and children the best start in life. With over 450 employees, our Nijmegen factory produces super-premium child nutrition for the largest market in the world, Greater China. Quality, reliability, innovation, and ethics are core values at Mead Johnson.

To strengthen our Liquid Process & Spray Drying operations, we are looking for an inspiring and results-driven Processing Manager. In this role, you will lead the manufacturing operation responsible for transforming raw materials into high-quality nutritional intermediates that form the foundation of our infant nutrition products.

Your impact As Processing Manager, you will have a direct influence on the performance of one of the most critical manufacturing areas within our factory. You are responsible for ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operations while creating an environment where people can grow, collaborate and excel.

You will lead a team of production leaders and specialists, translating strategic objectives into tangible results on the shop floor. By combining strong leadership with operational expertise, you will ensure that production targets are met while continuously improving processes, quality standards and team performance.

This is a role for someone who enjoys balancing strategic thinking with hands-on decision-making. You will work closely with colleagues from Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain and other key departments to achieve world-class manufacturing performance and support the continued growth of our business.

What will you do? As Processing Manager, you will be responsible for leading our Premix, Liquid Process & Spray Dry organization to ensure outstanding performance across safety, quality, service, cost and people development.

Your responsibilities include:

• Leading our Premix, Liquid Process & Spray Dry production organization with a strong focus on People, Safety, Quality, Service and Cost performance.
• Delivering production plans while ensuring optimal utilization of people, equipment, and resources.
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, quality, and operational excellence.
• Developing, coaching and empowering production leaders and teams to create a high-performance culture.
• Using data, KPIs, and performance insights to identify improvement opportunities and accelerate results.
• Leading problem-solving and decision-making during operational challenges, escalations, and production disruptions.
• Partnering with cross-functional teams to support site-wide objectives, investments, and transformation initiatives.
• Contributing to the strategic direction of the Nijmegen site as an active member of the Leadership Team.

Why this role? This is more than a processing leadership position. It is an opportunity to:

• Lead a key manufacturing area within an internationally recognized organization.
• Make a meaningful contribution to products that support the health and development of children worldwide.
• Inspire and develop talented teams in a high-performing manufacturing environment.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that create lasting impacts.
• Collaborate with experienced professionals across multiple disciplines where quality, compliance, and product safety are non-negotiable.
• Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Nijmegen manufacturing site.

Who are you? You are an experienced operations leader who knows how to bring out the best in people. You enjoy building engaged, high-performing teams and have a proven ability to deliver sustainable results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

You combine strategic thinking with a pragmatic, hands-on approach and are comfortable making decisions in complex operational settings.

You bring:

• A Master's degree in a technical discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Leadership experience within manufacturing, production, operations, or plant environments.
• Experience in food, dairy, infant nutrition, pharmaceutical, medical device or other highly regulated industries.
• A strong track record in operational excellence, continuous improvement and people leadership.
• The ability to lead through change and successfully navigate complex operational challenges.
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Professional communication skills in both Dutch and English is a necessity.

What do we offer? An inspiring and innovative work environment where you can develop your career and sharpen your skills in a motivated and professional team. A fulltime contract with excellent working conditions and a competitive salary of €82.500 - €124.000 annual gross (incl. holiday allowance) depending on knowledge and experience. Mead Johnson has a 40-hour working week with 25 vacation days. We also offer you a good pension plan, a competitive bonus structure, collective health insurance benefits and opportunities for professional development.

Will you take the next step? Then please send us your cover letter and resume now! This can be done very easily via the 'Yes, I want to apply' button. For more information about the position, you can contact us via email [email protected] or by phone at +316-25292378

Applying for a VOG may be part of the recruitment process.