At JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS (JDE) we are inspired by our belief that it’s amazing what can happen over a cup of coffee or tea. We´ve made it our mission to find out. Our people have been raising the bar since day one, thinking fast and acting even faster to make an impact that´s felt around the world. JDE is the home to some of the most well-known coffee brands in the world. Enjoyed in over 100 countries, our 19,000 passionate coffee champions are delivering our vision: a coffee for every cup.

 True coffee democracy begins here with all of us. Coffee is at the heart of life. It is with us at the big moments and the small. It’s an expression and enjoyment of personal taste and everyone should be free to enjoy their coffee their way. So why don’t you join us? And be a part of something amazing…

 If you’re brimming with entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to succeed, you’ll fit right in at JDE. Working globally and locally, our Associates have been positively influencing the world of coffee for over 265 years. We love people who are not afraid to try, and who try until they get it right. We value strong convictions and encourage debate. And all this in an open, friendly environment where you can approach anyone and grow any way you like.

The JDE Friele factory, based in Bergen, Norway is part of Jacobs Douwe Egberts since 2015, and have a 200-year old heritage of making coffee. The JDE Gävle factory is situated in the city of Gävle and is the home of the iconic Gevalia brand. We have a 100-year old heritage of roasting amazing coffee in Gävle and we need amazing people like you!

Here at the Gävle roastery we are building a culture of pride and performance.  Our Continuous Improvement manager is an integral part of this change journey and is a member of the factory management team.  We make about 10 million cups of coffee every day: this is a fast-paced and collaborative role!

In this role you will also support the Friele factory in Bergen, approximately 20 % of your time. Most of the work will be done remotely, but some travel to Bergen will be required.

The Continuous Improvement Manager delivers the key plant results, such as zero safety accidents, zero quality (losses), cost savings, efficiency improvement, 100% Customer Service Level and 100% engagement using the Manufacturing Operating System (MOS) program as an enabler.  MOS is JDE´s production system.

The role is responsible for developing and delivering the MOS roadmap for the plant with a key focus to both support and challenge the organisation to develop the way of working to deliver breakthrough results.

Responsibilities / Key Activities

• Leads the change journey and role models the behaviours required to develop our culture and achieve world class results. Practises a hands-on approach by leading the Fundamentals Pillar
• Delivers excellent results through engaged leadership and coaching.  Drives a culture of engagement and develops capabilities
• Strong focus on people development, training, and coaching: engaging our organisation in our continuous improvement way of working to deliver results.
• Works closely with the Global Pillar to ensure Manufacturing Operating System development and implementation in a standard way
• Works effectively with the Management Team of the plant as linking pin ensuring the implementation of the MOS program
• Leads a specific loss reduction project (role modelling in Continuous Improvement execution)
• Drives proactive benchmarking with other internal and external Continuous Improvement managers to generate best practice
• Has a clear understanding and accountability of costs and performance criteria delivering the Annual Operations Plan (AOP) to ultimately deliver the Value Creation Plan (VCP)
• Develops MOS implementation plan to deliver the plant Compelling Business Need (CBN), with clear focus on zero defects, zero losses and a total engagement culture. This plan needs to be consistent with the standard MOS roadmap
• Implements the standard MOS Continuous Improvement program, pillar structure and related capabilities
• As Fundamentals pillar lead you will own our daily Operating Performance meetings System (OPS), basic problem-solving tools (Root Cause Analysis, Kaizen, Single Minute Exchange of Dies - SMED, 6Sigma) and 5S
• Actively monitors and follows-up on the key performance indicators of the area
• Supports cost reduction and efficiency improvement initiatives
• Updates relevant information, tracking and reporting systems

• Proven track record of successful TPM implementation
• Strong people skills driving engagement, involvement and accountability
• Strong results focus
• Master Degree in Engineering (or related field)
• Fluent in Swedish & English level
• Knowledge of IFRS. (international finance reporting standards)
• Min 3 years’ experience in manufacturing environment preferred Fast Moving Consumer Goods
• Profound knowledge of Total Productive Maintenance - TPM (prerequisite), Lean and 6Sigma methodologies
• Experience in an international and multi-cultural environment
• Cross-functional exposure and collaboration
• Change management experience 
• Experience of coaching at all levels in an organisation
• Project management experience (leading projects)
• Excellent communication skills

We believe that a diverse and inclusive culture enables us to serve every coffee and tea lover in the best possible way. By creating an environment where the unique voices of every country, culture, and individual is heard, we can be the true champions of coffee democracy. It enables us to grow our business and spark innovation. 

We want JDE to be an organisation where every individual can contribute, grow, develop and be valued for their unique perspective no matter who you are, where you are from, how you live your life – or how you drink your coffee.

For more information you can contact Andreas Wendel, Plant Manager on,  [email protected]