Location: Netherlands
Sector: Waste, Energy, Heavy Process Industries
Contract: Permanent
About the Role
We are seeking a highly capable Head of Engineering to lead our clients Operational Engineering function and drive measurable improvements across safety, reliability, and long-term plant performance.
This role is critical in strengthening engineering governance, stabilising plant operations, and ensuring maintenance budgets are structured, optimised, and tightly controlled — all while reducing asset downtime and improving overall efficiency across our operational sites.
The ideal candidate will be dynamic, pragmatic, and trustworthy, with a proven track record of delivering engineering and operational improvements within waste, energy, or heavy process environments.
Key Responsibilities
You will lead the group-wide Operational Engineering department — encompassing Reliability, Project Delivery, and Asset Operations — and provide expert support to all plant management teams.
Your impact will include:
* Leading reliability and project functions while working closely with plant managers to enhance site maintenance performance.
* Strengthening engineering safety governance, compliance, and culture.
* Stabilising existing operations and embedding structured, long-term reliability improvements across all engineering functions.
* Enhancing asset health monitoring, engineering KPIs, and maintenance cost control vs CARV.
* Establishing robust strategic spare parts structures that are controlled, cost-effective, and aligned to asset health strategies.
* Working collaboratively with plant and maintenance managers to plan, forecast, and budget in a disciplined and transparent way.
* Introducing structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and continuous improvement methodologies.
* Overseeing capital project delivery and ensuring alignment with operational priorities.
* Influencing design stages to ensure upgrades incorporate effective layouts and Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) requirements.
About You — Skills & Experience
We’re looking for someone who brings:
* Proven leadership experience in waste, energy, or industrial processing environments.
* Strong technical expertise across maintenance, reliability, and capital projects.
* Working knowledge of CMMS systems, P&L oversight, and maintenance cost control.
* Experience embedding reliability principles and driving a continuous improvement culture.
* Strong understanding of engineering compliance, asset lifecycle management, and safety governance.
Why Join Us?
This is a senior leadership role where your decisions will directly shape operational performance, reliability culture, and long-term business success. You’ll have the autonomy to build structure, influence strategy, and drive tangible improvements across a complex and vital asset base