Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet
We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.
You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.
We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.
Job Summary
Provide change management leadership and Lean Six Sigma expertise needed in the Huhtamaki Continuous Improvement Process. Working with all levels of management, the WCO Manager facilitates cost savings and quality improvement projects within the operations cost centers, business groups, or corporate functions.
Essential Functions
- Drive site WCO deployment through pillar routes
- Plan and lead large scale CI projects
- Organize and facilitate Lean/Kaizen CI events
- Deliver effective process and financial business improvements
- Manage and act as coach for smaller scale CI projects
- Plan and communicate CI initiatives and results with management staff
- Document CI program, update CI database, track site projects, conduct project report outs
- Perform process measurement and data mining
- Assist organization with project selection and prioritization, along with building and maintaining a project pipeline
- Hands on participation with WCO events and projects
- Communicate and interact with all levels of organization.
- Facilitate team building, organizational leadership and change management best practices.
- Other duties as assigned.
Job Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical field required, minimum of 4 years of manufacturing experience, minimum of 2 years in a leadership/influencing role.
- Strong knowledge in CI methodologies / techniques with demonstrated experience coaching others on those principles (WCO Pillars, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen, Loss classification)
- Strong knowledge in Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, NVA vs VA, etc.
- Demonstrated successful project management experience.
- Experience with plant safety management systems.
- Communication Skills (listening, verbal, written).
- Analytical / Research Skills,
- Flexibility/Adaptability/Manage Multiple Priorities,
- Interpersonal abilities that improve engagement across functional areas and shop floor is a must.
- Leadership/Management skills: able to give/receive constructive feedback.
- Planning/Organizing Skills: able to create/lead project gantt charts and drive accountability to timelines.
- Problem Solving/Reasoning Skills: Possess a strong ability at driving to root cause and overcoming obstacles. A can-do attitude.
- Teamwork: Able to work with a diverse group with various levels of project experience
- Computer literate: MS Office; MS Project, Power App, and CAD experience a plus.
Environment
- Physical effort requirements may include lifting up to 50 lbs., extended standing, walking extended distances.
- Work Environment may include heat, cold, dust and noise.
- Work schedule may require travel, extended work hours, or shift work.
Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a technical field
- Minimum of 4 years of manufacturing experience
- Minimum of 2 years in a leadership/influencing role
- Strong knowledge in CI methodologies (WCO Pillars, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen, Loss classification) and coaching experience
- Strong knowledge in Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, NVA vs VA
- Demonstrated successful project management experience
- Experience with plant safety management systems
- Communication skills (listening, verbal, written)
- Analytical and research skills
- Flexibility, adaptability, and ability to manage multiple priorities
- Interpersonal abilities to engage across functional areas and the shop floor
- Leadership/management skills; able to give and receive constructive feedback
- Planning and organizing skills; create/lead project Gantt charts and drive timelines
- Problem solving and reasoning skills; drive to root cause and overcome obstacles
- Teamwork: able to work with diverse groups and varying project experience
- Computer literate: MS Office
- MS Project experience
- Power App experience
- CAD experience
- Physical ability: lift up to 50 lbs, extended standing and walking
- Willingness to travel, work extended hours, or perform shift work
Huhtamaki Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Huhtamaki and has not been reviewed or approved by Huhtamaki.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive with dental and vision options, and employer contributions toward premiums are portrayed as generous. Feedback suggests this breadth makes the overall package feel competitive for many roles.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a 401(k) with pre‑tax and Roth options, with certain groups also having access to a pension and even deferred compensation. Feedback suggests these features stand out positively in a manufacturing context.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, paid holidays, and generous parental leave are emphasized alongside meaningful PTO accruals. Feedback suggests this leave structure strengthens perceived total rewards even where base pay is viewed as only fair.
Huhtamaki Insights
What We Do
Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste. We embed sustainability in everything we do. We are committed to achieving carbon neutral production and designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030. We are a participant in the UN Global Compact and EcoVadis has awarded Huhtamaki with the Gold medal for performance in sustainability. To play our part in managing climate change, we have set science-based targets that have been approved and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 37 countries and 103 operating locations around the world. Our values Care Dare Deliver guide our decisions and help our team of around 18 000 employees make a difference where it matters. Our 2023 net sales totaled EUR 4.2 billion. Huhtamaki Group is headquartered in Espoo, Finland and our parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about how we are protecting food, people and the planet on www.huhtamaki.com
