Vice President Engineering GEM at ''

Position Title: Vice President Engineering GEM (Great Britain, Europe, Middle East & North Africa) Position Type: Regular - Full-Time Requisition ID: 45075

At McCain, we are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, and innovation, delivering exceptional value for our customers and consumers. Our investments in people, technology, and digital capabilities strengthen our position in key markets. By building world-class operations and fostering strong customer partnerships, we aim to create an agile, resilient, and future-ready business.

Guided by our purpose to celebrate real connections through delicious, planet-friendly food, we operate responsibly to create a positive impact for our employees, customers, communities, and the environment. Our success relies on talented individuals empowered to make decisions, challenge the status quo, and continuously improve our operations. Together, we cultivate a culture of accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and high performance.

The Vice President Engineering GEM is a vital member of the Global Engineering Leadership Team, reporting to the Global Vice President of Engineering, with a strong matrix connection to the Vice President of Operations GEM. This role provides strategic leadership in engineering, capital project execution, asset reliability, manufacturing technology, and engineering capability development, ensuring the region's manufacturing network can safely and sustainably meet McCain's growth ambitions.

The Role

This role collaborates closely with the GEM Operations Team and the nine manufacturing facilities in the region, including three in Great Britain, three in France, two in Belgium, two in the Netherlands, and one in Poland. Responsibilities encompass the delivery of Base and Transformational Capital Projects and design services related to reliability, environmental, process, sustainability, utilities, and other engineering disciplines vital for food manufacturing. A key priority will be to shape the regional engineering organization and clarify accountabilities to support the full GEM scope.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the GEM engineering strategy and one-year and five-year engineering and CapEx plans, aligning with overall business objectives.
Manage the engineering organization's operating and capital budgets, ensuring spending discipline and accurate forecasting.
Provide leadership in capital project execution across the GEM network, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget.
Apply McCain's global engineering standards to ensure consistency, quality, and safety across all facilities.
Champion continuous improvement and the adoption of lean principles across engineering, maintenance, and operations.
Identify and implement automation and digital solutions to enhance project outcomes and manufacturing performance.
Build strong partnerships with various departments to ensure engineering priorities align with broader business goals.
Regularly report on engineering performance, capital project status, and key risks to senior leadership.
Attract, develop, and retain top engineering talent across countries and sites.
Ensure robust risk management practices protect people, assets, and continuity of operations.
Manage relationships with external vendors and contractors to ensure quality and accountability.

Capital Project Delivery

Oversee the Capital Project Delivery Portfolio, governing prioritization, business cases, and approvals for 300+ active projects with an annual spend of EUR 200M - EUR 400M.
Lead project governance from concept to handover, establishing controls for scope, schedule, cost, and risk.
Coach Project Managers during Front End Loading activities for strategic projects.
Participate as a champion in initiatives related to plant safety and engineering standardization.
Act as the primary Technical Sponsor for large engineering projects communicated to Senior Leadership.

Utility Engineering

Oversee the utility engineering group responsible for boiler, industrial refrigeration, and HVAC operations across the GEM manufacturing network.
Ensure compliance with safety-critical regulatory requirements and drive proactive maintenance programs.
Standardize utility engineering practices across sites to reduce operational variability.
Build and develop a team of utility engineers with the expertise required for a 24/7 food manufacturing environment.

Accountabilities

Lead Project and Maintenance activities for GEM (excluding Snacking).
Represent GEM on the McCain Global Engineering Leadership Team.
Deliver year-over-year cost and working capital reductions.
Ensure compliance with Finance and Procurement policies.

Decision Making Authorities and Impact

Capital Spend: EUR 200M - EUR 400M yearly.
Budget: EUR 10M operating budget across GEM.

Location and Travel

Preferred office location: Amsterdam, NL. Regular travel will be required across GEM sites and periodic international travel to support Global Engineering.

Experience

15+ years in Engineering, Environmental, and Maintenance leadership across multiple manufacturing sites and countries.
Experience developing engineering and CapEx plans and governing a significant multi-site portfolio.
Proven track record of leading technical experts and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrixed organization.
Food or beverage manufacturing experience preferred.
Working knowledge of European and UK engineering regulatory frameworks.

Technical

Proven track record in delivering quality results in a food environment.
Strong technical judgment and commitment to safety.
Ability to lead across cultures and build capability within a matrixed organization.

Business

Ability to devise strategic plans to achieve long-term goals.
Understanding of the competitive landscape and financial acumen.
Strategic perspective on critical interdependencies across functions.

Education

Must Have: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering.
Must Have: Professional Engineering License, or equivalent.
Nice to Have: Graduate Degree in Engineering, Management, or Finance.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide our engagement with customers and collaboration as a team. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to deliver results.

AI and digital capabilities are integral to our work and innovation. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to be the employer of choice in diverse communities around the world. Inclusion drives our creativity and success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please let us know.

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