European Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager

Are you an experienced Quality and Continuous Improvement professional with a strong background in manufacturing? Can you turn operational data into measurable improvements and provide clear functional direction across multiple production sites?

As European Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager, you will own the European quality and continuous improvement framework and drive improvements in quality performance, Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), and operational stability across our European manufacturing locations.

About the role

This is a European cross-functional role without direct people management responsibility. You will provide functional leadership to local SHEQ and Quality Managers and work closely with Plant Managers, Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

You will set the European functional direction, standards, methodologies, KPI structures, and improvement priorities for Quality and Continuous Improvement. You will monitor progress, challenge performance, and coordinate cross-site improvement initiatives.

Local Plant Managers and SHEQ or Quality Managers remain responsible for local implementation, compliance, people management, and day-to-day operational execution.

You will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer.

What success looks like after 12 months

Success in this role means that a common European approach to Quality and Continuous Improvement is in place and is producing measurable operational results.

Expected outcomes include:

• A consistent European quality and COPQ KPI framework is implemented across the plants

• The main drivers of scrap, rework, complaints, and other quality-related costs are identified and addressed through structured improvement initiatives

• Recurring quality issues are reduced through stronger root cause analysis and corrective action follow-up

• Quality performance and operational stability become more transparent and predictable

• Agreed quality methodologies and structured problem-solving tools are used consistently across sites

• Cross-site benchmarking and best-practice sharing are established

• Local teams receive clear functional direction and build stronger continuous improvement capabilities

• Management has better insight into quality performance, risks, priorities, and improvement progress

Key responsibilities

• Own and further develop the European quality and continuous improvement framework

• Set functional direction, standards, methodologies, KPI structures, and improvement priorities across European plants

• Provide functional leadership to local SHEQ and Quality Managers without assuming direct line management responsibility

• Lead and drive cross-site quality and continuous improvement initiatives

• Analyse quality and operational performance to identify structural issues, recurring losses, and improvement opportunities

• Drive the reduction of Cost of Poor Quality, including scrap, rework, complaints, and process-related losses, in collaboration with Plant Managers and Operations teams

• Standardize relevant quality processes and KPI reporting to improve transparency, comparability, and benchmarking

• Ensure consistent use of structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D, 5 Why, Lean, and PDCA

• Monitor agreed actions and results, challenge progress, and escalate material risks or recurring gaps where necessary

• Facilitate cross-site learning and best-practice sharing

• Develop quality and continuous improvement capabilities within local teams

• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain to improve process stability, yield, and operational performance

• Provide European coordination and functional guidance for audit readiness and certification activities, working with local SHEQ teams that remain responsible for local compliance and execution

Your profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Management, or a comparable field

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in manufacturing quality and continuous improvement

• Experience working across multiple manufacturing sites or countries

• Proven track record of reducing Cost of Poor Quality and delivering measurable, sustainable process improvements in a manufacturing environment

• Strong experience with Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies

• Strong analytical capability and the ability to translate data into practical improvement actions

• Sound understanding of manufacturing processes, quality systems, process stability, and operational cost drivers

• Comfortable setting functional direction and influencing, challenging, and aligning stakeholders without direct authority

• Able to combine European standardization with the practical needs and responsibilities of local operations

• Takes ownership, acts on identified issues, and follows through on agreed actions and results

• Fluent in English; additional European languages are considered an asset

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent demonstrable experience required; Black Belt preferred

• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification is considered an asset

Employment conditions

Employment conditions, including salary, benefits, and contract terms, are aligned with local legislation and market practice in the country from which the role is performed.

Further information is available upon request and will be discussed during the recruitment process.

Good to know

• The role can be based at one of our established locations in Europe, depending on local employment arrangements.

• Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the country where they will be employed. AAF is unable to provide visa or work permit sponsorship for this position.

• Regular travel across Europe is required

• This is a senior specialist role without direct people management responsibility

• The role has European functional ownership for Quality and Continuous Improvement across multiple manufacturing locations

Interested?

Please hit the apply button.

For questions about the role:

✉ dagmar.bos@aafeurope.com
✆ +31 6 224 337 04

We kindly ask recruitment agencies not to contact us regarding this vacancy..