Rimowa Senior Operational Excellence Expert
- Location
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Senior
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Apr 8, 2026
About Rimowa
RIMOWA is a German luxury luggage maison within the LVMH group, known for combining craftsmanship, durable design and technical innovation to create premium travel companions. As part of LVMH, RIMOWA operates within an international luxury network offering development opportunities across the group while maintaining a strong focus on product quality, heritage and functional design.
RIMOWA in Cologne seeks a Senior Operational Excellence Expert to lead Lean and continuous improvement at its manufacturing site.
Role & Responsibilities
- Design and implement a site-specific Operational Excellence (OE) strategy aligned with corporate objectives
- Serve as the factory representative for Operational Excellence within the RIMOWA/LVMH network
- Identify, define and prioritise OE projects across the full value stream and lead their execution
- Provide functional leadership and governance for all OE initiatives at the site
- Establish and mature a holistic performance-management system with clear KPIs (e.g. OEE, lead time, cost, quality)
- Drive sustainable implementation of improvement measures and ensure results are institutionalised
- Lead complex cross-functional OE projects and scale Lean and best-practice approaches
- Standardise and harmonise processes and track outcomes against defined targets
- Coach leaders and project teams; facilitate Kaizen events, problem-solving workshops and training to embed a continuous improvement (KVP) culture
Qualifications
- Completed university degree (Diplom/Master), preferably in engineering or industrial engineering
- Minimum of 5 years' experience implementing Operational Excellence, Lean Management or similar continuous improvement methods
- Proven application of Lean principles, Six Sigma and Kaizen in manufacturing or production environments
- Strong leadership, communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders
- Demonstrated change-management capability and experience driving cultural transformation
- Solid financial acumen with ability to build business cases and quantify the benefits of OE initiatives
- Experience managing complex projects and a track record of delivering measurable process improvements
- Fluent in German and English; experience with digitalisation initiatives is an advantage
Skills
Experience
At least 5 years implementing Operational Excellence initiatives, Lean management or equivalent process-improvement experience in a production/manufacturing environment.
Education
Master's degree or equivalent (Diplom/Master), preferably in Engineering or Industrial Engineering.
Workplace
This position is based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Benefits
30 days paid vacation per year; RIMOWA Essential Cabin suitcase as a gift after probation; corporate benefits and 30% employee discount on RIMOWA range; company pension plan with high employer contribution or other asset-building benefits; subsidised canteen with freshly cooked, affordable lunches; subsidised Urban Sports Club membership, Deutschlandticket and Jobrad; international environment and development opportunities within LVMH.
Culture
RIMOWA blends German engineering and craftsmanship with contemporary luxury, creating an environment that values durability, design and technical excellence. As part of LVMH, the workplace is international and growth-oriented, with an explicit commitment to diversity and inclusion as drivers of innovation.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Rimowa, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Senior Operational Excellence Manager», «Senior Continuous Improvement Expert», «Senior Lean Manufacturing Specialist», «Operational Excellence Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.