Factory Director Koninklijke Verkade | pladis

Want to help us bring happiness to the world Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands infrastructure and people Then this is the place for you.

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands we dont compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to bepurpose-ledresilientandpositiveto succeed here because we expect pace andagility we insist oncollaborationand demand accountability. If that is your thing then pladis offers global ambition a clear Vision and roadmap for success challenge and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact

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The Challenge

For our plant in Zaandam in the Netherlands we are looking for a Factory Director. Do you bring the factory to a higher level We offer you the opportunity to join our team and contribute to our mission to bring Happiness with every bite.

The position entails

AsFactory Directorat Koninklijke Verkade (part of pladis) you will be fully responsible for the operational performance of our factory. You will lead a team of professionals and ensure a safe efficient and high-quality production environment. You are a strategic and inspiring leader who drives continuous improvement and operational excellence. You will report to the Supply Chain Director pladis Europe & Developing Markets (EDM).

Your main responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: All factory operations ensuring optimal performance in safety quality cost-efficiency and customer service.
• Team Management: Lead and develop the Factory Management Team fostering a culture of ownership collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Strategic Execution: Translate group-level strategic initiatives (e.g. automation cost-per-ton reduction) into actionable factory plans.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement and promote lean manufacturing supply chain excellence tools and performance optimization across all departments.
• Innovation & NPD: Act as a key stakeholder in New Product Development (NPD) and asset-based innovation collaborating closely with Marketing and P2M.
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure full compliance with local and international laws GMP QHSE standards and corporate policies.
• Investment Planning: Develop Capex proposals aligned with factory growth and optimization plans and manage investment processes.

• Benchmarking: Monitor and compare factory performance with internal and external benchmarks to identify improvement opportunities.

What do you bring

• Proven experience as a Factory Manager Plant Director or similar senior role in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership and people management skills with a track record of building high-performing teams.
• Expertise in lean manufacturing continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into execution.
• Excellent communication skills in English; Dutch is a plus.
• Experience working in a dynamic fast-paced and international environment.

What we offer

• A key leadership role within a globally recognized snacking company.
• The opportunity to shape the future of a historic brand and a strategically important factory.
• A dynamic and entrepreneurial work environment with room for innovation and growth.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Working for pladis means challenging jobs career opportunities and an inspiring environment that allow you to enhance your personal development. pladis recognizes that the on-going success of the company depends on the continued development and engagement of our employees and pursues a fair and competitive remuneration policy recognizing individual and team competencies and performance.

Who are we

Koninklijke Verkade founded in 1886 with amazing brands like Verkade and Sultana is part of pladis since 2016. pladisis one of the worlds leading snacking companies. We are the proud steward of over 300 years of family baking and confectionery experience. A worldwide community with 16.000 colleagues around the world. Each of us bring our experience in happiness. Each of us is unique but we find each other as a family of bakers and chocolatiers hardworking with pride and purpose. After all these years we believe that biscuits and chocolate bring people together. We are pladis. We bake Happiness. Happiness with every bite.

More information can be found at

Interested
If you are a driven and inspiring leader with a passion for operational excellence and innovation we invite you to apply and become part of our journey at pladis / Koninklijke Verkade.

Diversity and inclusion is central to everything we do and is reflected across our business. pladis brings together brands and people from around the globe and this diversity is our great strength.

Were an equal opportunities employer and believe in encouraging an inclusive environment where we celebrate diversity of thinking and respect everyones distinctive qualities and perspectives.

pladis is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All openings will be filled based on qualifications without regard to race color sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin marital status veteran status disability age religion or any other classification protected by law.

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List. If you are a recruitment agency and wish to submit candidate to be considered for this vacancy you must have agreed to and signed our terms of business.
We will not accept CVs from any other sources other than those currently on our PSL. We will not pay a fee for any candidate that has not been represented by a provider on our PSL.