Global Head of Maintenance

About this position

The Global Head of Maintenance will lead and oversee the global Henkel Adhesives Operations maintenance strategy across all manufacturing sites (100+ sites) within the company. This role is responsible for defining the strategy and the functional requirements for the sites, assessing sites maturity and defining improvement plans, optimizing maintenance practices, upskilling the maintenance community and driving world-class performance in maintenance & asset management. The role requires collaboration with regional and site-level teams to implement best practices and increase maturity.

What you´ll do

• Leadership & maintenance strategy:
• • Develop and execute a global maintenance strategy that aligns with Henkel Adhesives Operations strategy and objectives
  • Lead and mentor a global team of maintenance experts (2 FTEs direct reports and lead a cross-regional community of 5 FTEs, fostering a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Establish and monitor key maintenance performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and ensure alignment with company goals
  • Define maintenance functional requirements for sites to measure and monitor their performance and maturity in terms of maintenance and asset management
  • Perform expert site maintenance audits and develop roadmaps for gap closure
  • Optimize maintenance spend, asset availability, asset lifetime and asset integrity

• Maintenance standards and knowledge:
• • Coordinate the development of core maintenance process standards e.g., reliability engineering, planning & scheduling
  • Coordinate the development of technical standards definition (where applicable) e.g., Preventive Maintenance plans (ITPM) for SHE critical equipment (SCE)
  • Develop and coordinate global programs and practices that drive spare parts standardization and optimization
  • Coordinate standardized maintenance master data management including master data cleaning, nomenclature and enrichment to allow for sharing and to optimize spend and working capital
  • Ensure adherence to maintenance schedules, cost efficiency, and operational safety across all global sites
  • Ensure that all maintenance activities comply with regulatory standards (OSHA, EPA, local regulations) and corporate health, safety, and environmental (SHE) policies.

• Maintenance capability building:
• • Drive upskilling programs for our entire global maintenance community (training material, facilitation, external certifications)
  • Ensure best practice knowledge sharing cross-regionally and cross-sites
  • Define required maintenance skills framework for key maintenance roles, ensure assessment and calibration and define roadmap to close gaps
  • Provide guidance on what best in class maintenance site blueprint (roles and responsibilities) looks like
  • Foster a culture of problem-solving and root cause analysis to address recurring issues and improve equipment performance.

• Maintenance tools
• • Manage CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management system) system upgrades and govern master data management and standardization
  • Define metrics and visualization requirements for our PowerBi dashboards
  • Identify and implement new technologies (e.g., Industry 4.0, IoT, CMMS) to optimize maintenance operations, reduce costs, and improve asset performance
  • Govern adoption and functionality usage to ensure value for money for digital tools

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:
• • Collaborate with regional/site maintenance teams, operations, engineering, and other functions to ensure alignment of maintenance strategies with overall business objectives.
  • Engage with senior leadership to provide updates on maintenance performance, risks, and capital projects related to asset management.
  • Build strong relationships with external vendors and service providers to ensure timely and cost-effective maintenance solutions.
  • Work closely with engineering, production, and supply chain teams to ensure that maintenance programs support production goals and overall plant efficiency.

What makes you a good fit

• Required Skills & Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Maintenance, or a related technical field; Master’s degree preferred.
  • 10-15+ years of experience in maintenance management, with at least 5 years in a global or regional or multi-site role in the chemical or other industry.
  • Proven track record of leading large maintenance teams and managing maintenance & asset management operations across multiple sites.
  • Strong knowledge of ISO 55000, reliability-centered maintenance, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), and other advanced maintenance strategies.
  • Experience with CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems, preferred SAP PM or eMaint X5) and other relevant technologies for predictive maintenance.
  • Knowledge of regulatory requirements in chemical manufacturing (OSHA, EPA, etc.).
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and drive change in a complex global environment.
  • Ability to travel internationally as needed (at least 25%).

  Preferred Qualifications:

  • Certifications such as CMRP (Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional, Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals), CRL (Certified Reliability Leader, Association of Asset Management Professionals), PMP (Project Management Professional).
  • Experience in Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies

Some perks of joining Henkel

• Flexible work scheme with flexible hours, hybrid and work from anywhere policies
• Diverse national and international growth opportunities
• Globally wellbeing standards with health and preventive care programs
• Gender-neutral parental leave for a minimum of 8 weeks
• Employee Share Plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares
• Pension Fund
• Disability Insurance
• Health Insurance
• 30 days of holidays
• Company car or car allowance

At Henkel, we come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe the uniqueness of all our employees is the power in us. Become part of the team and bring your uniqueness to us! We welcome all applications across different genders, origins, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, disabilities, and generations.

Over Henkel

Voortbouwend op een sterke erfenis van meer dan 145 jaar, geven wij de toon aan om het leven elke dag opnieuw te verbeelden en te verbeteren. Vandaag en voor toekomstige generaties. Via onze innovatieve en duurzame merken en technologieën en via onze teams over de hele wereld. Henkel bekleedt leidende posities in zowel industriële als consumentenactiviteiten: Ons portfolio omvat bekende haarverzorgingsproducten, wasmiddelen, wasverzachters en kleefstoffen, dichtingsmiddelen en functionele coatings.