For nearly 40 years, Lipton has been contributing to the future of Turkish tea through its commitment to Turkish tea, tea producers, and tea lovers. Its initiatives cover a wide range of areas, including nature conservation programs in the Eastern Black Sea region, social, economic, and health-focused projects supporting tea producers, as well as investments in its production facility and employment opportunities in Sakarya.

Until July 1, 2021, Lipton was part of Unilever, both in Türkiye and globally. As of this date, the brand became part of a Luxembourg-based independent investment advisory firm. Today, Lipton continues its journey as one of the leading names in the tea industry, embracing all the regions where tea is grown, produced, and enjoyed as its home. With a culture that values tea-loving communities equally across more than 100 countries, Lipton believes in the power of tea to bring people together and strengthen connections. Guided by its respect for our planet and all forms of life, Lipton continues its initiatives focused on the tea plant, tea producers, and tea lovers.

We are looking for a teammate to join our Production Manager organization at our Lipton Tea Packaging Factory in Arifiye, Sakarya, in the position of Production Excellence Lead.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyze manufacturing processes to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, capacity, and cost performance, and lead improvement projects.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, SMED, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) across production processes.
• Monitor and analyze production key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop corrective actions to address deviations from performance targets.
• Lead initiatives to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), production efficiency, scrap rates, unplanned downtime, and labor productivity.
• Analyze production losses, conduct root cause analyses, and develop sustainable solutions.
• Conduct work studies, time studies, line balancing, and capacity analyses to ensure effective utilization of manufacturing resources.
• Optimize production flows, workforce allocation, and operational processes.
• Analyze manufacturing costs and develop projects to reduce losses related to labor, energy, raw materials, and consumables.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Planning, Logistics, and Engineering teams to improve operational processes.
• Actively contribute to new product introductions, process development, and capacity expansion projects.
• Develop, improve, and monitor the sustainability of standardized work procedures in manufacturing processes.
• Maintain an active presence on the shop floor to help resolve operational issues, guide teams through improvement initiatives, and increase employee engagement.
• Support the enhancement of quality and occupational health and safety standards in manufacturing operations.
• Regularly report on efficiency, quality, and operational performance results and recommend areas for improvement.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience in manufacturing, process development, continuous improvement, or operational excellence is preferred.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, OEE, SMED, and TPM methodologies; hands-on implementation experience is an advantage.
• Knowledge of manufacturing KPIs, capacity analysis, productivity, and cost management.
• Proficiency in problem-solving tools and techniques, including root cause analysis, 8D, 5 Whys, and Ishikawa diagrams.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI and ERP/MRP systems is preferred.
• Strong ability to analyze manufacturing processes and make data-driven decisions.
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and results-oriented skills.
• Excellent planning, organization, and coordination skills.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to collaborate across functions.
• Proactive, accountable, and solution-oriented approach.
• Willingness to work actively on the production floor.
• Strong leadership potential and ability to align and guide teams toward common goals.
• Commitment to continuous learning, development, and change.
• Good command of English is an advantage.