About the role
A leading European food ingredients and bio-based chemicals group, part of a large international agribusiness organization, is looking for a Director Technical Strategy & Investment to lead their combined Corporate Investment and Optimum Department. This is a high-impact, group-level leadership role covering Investment Management, Maintenance Management, Sustainability Engineering, and Digitalization across 11 production sites. You will be the driving force behind a unified corporate framework that strengthens operational efficiency and steers the group's technical evolution.
Director Technical Strategy & Investment
Your key responsibilities
- Develop a long-term Asset Lifecycle Strategy and replacement roadmap to safeguard the technical integrity and reliability of high-value production assets while optimizing total cost of ownership
- Manage the integrated Technical Project Portfolio from ideation to implementation — on time, within budget, and in quality
- Steer the operational and technical aspects of product portfolio extensions for both food ingredients and bio-based chemicals, providing cost estimations and strategic guidance for growth projects
- Develop and implement an Optimum program aligned with group requirements, tailored to each site — focusing on increasing OEE, reducing manufacturing costs, and expanding production capacities
- Drive sustainability engineering initiatives (heat recovery, carbon reduction) to reduce the combined ecological footprint across the group
- Lead the Corporate Maintenance Management community in budgets, criticality rankings, and systems (SAP-EAM), developing group-wide best practices
- Define and execute the group's digital and automation strategy, identifying opportunities for digital transformation across all sites
- Report CAPEX, KPIs, and project approval status to the Executive Board, providing timely data for strategic decision-making
- Coach and develop engineering teams and project execution resources across the organization
- Standardize technical investment and optimization processes across business units to leverage synergies and harmonize engineering standards
What we're looking for
- Master's degree in Process Engineering, Food Technology, or Chemical Engineering
- 10–15 years of professional experience in the food, process, or (bio-)chemical industry
- Proven track record in managing large-scale capital investment projects and technical portfolios
- Strong understanding of operational excellence, maintenance management, and sustainability engineering
- Experience with digitalization and automation in industrial environments
- Excellent leadership skills with the ability to coach and align multi-site, cross-functional teams
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational level within a large international group
- Fluent in English; additional languages are an asset
What we offer
- A group-level leadership role with genuine scope and impact across 11 European production sites
- A key seat at the table in shaping the technical and sustainability future of well-established food and biotech businesses
- The backing of a leading European agribusiness group with a strong international presence
- A competitive remuneration package in line with the seniority and responsibility of the role
Interested?
- Call Ralf Gutschoven on +32 (0)478 43 61 68 for more info or an application. On weekdays between 9h00 and 11h00 and in the evening from 19h00 to 21h00, on Saturday between 10h00 and 12h00.
- Or mail your CV to ralf@talentselection.be