Operational Excellence Director

Cartamundi is the worldwide leader in “play” solutions, such as playing cards, card & board games, and collectibles & trading card games. Its team of nearly 3,000 people is united in providing every person the possibility to “Live Different, Play Different.” To achieve this, the family‑owned company, headquartered in Belgium, operates a global network of design and sales offices and manufacturing facilities, stretching from the US, over Latin America and Europe, to Japan.
The company houses a global brand portfolio that includes a suite of heritage brands such as Bicycle®, Bee®, Copag®, Shuffle® and many locally loved brands. At the same time, Cartamundi is a trusted manufacturing and distribution solutions partner for leading toy and entertainment companies.
Given the Cartamundi printing presses have been running since 1765, the company draws on a rich tradition, whilst at the same time stimulating innovation in digital and hybrid experiences to stay relevant today and tomorrow.
Cartamundi pursues a strategy of sustainable and profitable growth whilst preserving our planet and the company in excellent condition for generations to come.

The Turnhout site specializes in the successful niche of Collectibles & Trading Card Games and is experiencing dynamic growth: continuous investments are being made in new machinery, technologies, and processes to elevate production capacity and quality. As Operational Excellence Director, you will play a key role in driving this growth and transformation.

Your Mission:

You are the driving force behind the cultural transformation toward structured, integrated Operational Excellence. You will define and implement a site‑wide strategy for continuous improvement. Your scope is cross‑functional and spans Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance.

What will you do?

• Develop a long‑term Operational Excellence strategy aligned with global guidelines and business objectives.
• Identify improvement opportunities and define KPIs to monitor performance and progress.
• Create and implement a roadmap for basic continuous improvement (CI) tools at the frontline level, including zoning/5S, initial cleaning, team boards, daily direction setting, and equipment maintenance, with strong engagement from management.
• Optimize end‑to‑end processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance quality, collaborating closely with operational leaders and cross‑functional teams.
• Develop and track a pipeline of improvement initiatives, measuring financial savings against targets in partnership with the Finance Director.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement across all departments and guide teams through change to ensure sustainable adoption.
• Support the hierarchical line, starting with team leaders, to successfully manage change initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior management, department heads, and external partners to implement improvement initiatives and report progress to the executive team.
• Use data analysis to identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement, and implement dashboards and reporting tools for performance monitoring.
• Build, coach, and lead an Operational Excellence team, providing training and development in Lean, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies.
• Strengthen organizational capability through data‑driven process standards, dashboards, digital tools, and targeted training initiatives.

Who are you?

We is looking for a senior leader who combines strong operational credibility with the ability to drive cultural change.

• Master’s degree in engineering or a business‑related field.
• Extensive experience in a manufacturing environment, including significant leadership
• Broad operational background : beyond pure CI/OpEx, with experience in operational management and preferably exposure to areas such as Supply Chain and/or Quality.
• Proven experience with mature OpEx systems (e.g. TPM, IWS, WCM, Lean) and a track record of implementing them in a transformational or greenfield context.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is a strong asset (training can be provided).
• Strategic and conceptual thinker with a hands‑on, pragmatic and results‑driven mindset.
• Strong change leader with excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trust at all levels.
• Analytical, resilient and comfortable in a fast‑growing, high‑demand environment.
• Ambition and potential to grow within the organization.
• Fluent in Dutch and English .

Our offer

We invite you into a varied position with an attractive package and the possibilities for personal and professional growth.

• A dynamic international environment with opportunities to grow, innovate and thrive alongside colleagues from around the world.
• The chance to co‑shape global communications by contributing to impactful projects that influence how our story is told across borders.
• A role where your creativity and organizational skills matter, where you can make a tangible difference in shaping messages, channels and projects that resonate.

Interested?

Are you ready for a new challenge? Surf to and apply online. We look forward to receiving your resume and application letter.