Head Of Engineering

Head of Engineering 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