Careers

1. Position identification

DEPARTMENT : Industrial Performance & Methods (autonomous department)

CLUSTER : Operations & Production

REPORTING TO : General Manager (direct reporting)

COLLABORATION : Close and daily with the Production Department

STATUS : Engineer or Senior Technician, depending on profile

HEADCOUNT AT START : 1 FTE, sole position of the department (covers the 3 pillars)

PHASE : Phase 1, critical recruitment

2. Context and purpose of the role

FACAM STAIRWAY TOGO is a Togo-based industrial manufacturer producing papers and adhesive tapes, baby diapers, sanitary napkins, as well as the semi-finished raw materials that feed them. The company operates three downstream production lines and one upstream semi-finished products unit integrated within the Industrial Department.

As part of the ongoing departmental reorganization, FACAM is establishing the Industrial Performance & Methods Department: an autonomous department, independent from Production, to ensure neutrality of diagnosis and objectivity of improvement projects.

This department works in close collaboration with the Production Department. Its purpose is to observe, analyze and improve industrial operations, with a particular focus on analyzing employees' manual executions to identify opportunities for robotization and automation.

At the start, the department is led by a single Engineer who covers three areas of expertise: Methods & Machine Improvement · Automation, Robotics & Instrumentation · Operational Excellence & Lean. An increase in headcount is planned in Phase 2/3 depending on the volume of projects deployed and the maturity of the approach.

The position holder reports directly to the General Manager, sits on the weekly Executive Committee (CODIR), and chairs the monthly Industrial Performance Committee.

3. Core mission

Continuously optimize industrial performance across the three production lines and the semi-finished products unit, in close collaboration with the Production Department. Map losses, analyze employees' manual executions, identify opportunities for robotization and automation, design the solutions, and instrument the lines to measure OEE and key indicators in real time.

Drive a technological innovation approach in service of Production, Maintenance, and the Product & Innovation Department: progressively transform repetitive manual operations into automated or robotized processes, within FACAM's operational capabilities.

4. Key responsibilities

The position's responsibilities are organized around the department's three areas of expertise. At the start, a single position holder covers the entire scope in daily collaboration with Production.

Pillar 1: Methods & Machine Improvement

The technical core: analyze, design, deploy improvements.

▸  Map losses by line (PARETO analysis, Ishikawa diagram, process FMEA)

▸  Design and lead improvement projects: SMED (changeover time reduction), 5S, Kaizen, A3

▸  Define and standardize operating procedures and work instructions together with Production

▸  Conduct machine capability studies (Cp, Cpk) and line capacity studies

▸  Propose machine modifications in coordination with Maintenance

▸  Prepare industrialization of new products with the Industrial Product Manager

▸  Conduct ergonomic studies and workstation improvements

Pillar 2: Automation, Robotics & Instrumentation

The engine of technological transformation: capture data, automate the measurable, robotize the repetitive.

▸  Analyze manual executions by employees on the lines (timing, observation, video, workstation analysis)

▸  Identify and prioritize opportunities for automation and robotization by ROI and feasibility

▸  Design and develop robotic tools adapted to the FACAM context: collaborative robots (cobots), AGVs, pick & place systems, industrial vision

▸  Deploy line instrumentation (sensors, PLCs, supervision systems)

▸  Set up real-time OEE dashboards for Line Leaders and Management

▸  Measure actual throughput and reject rates per workstation and per batch

▸  Lead automation and robotization projects: specifications, ROI, vendor selection, deployment

▸  Manage technical interfaces with equipment, automation, and robotics suppliers

▸  Coordinate with the IT/IS Department on process data feeds to ERP and dashboards

Pillar 3: Operational Excellence & Lean

The human dimension: transmit, engage, embed standards.

▸  Lead continuous improvement teams with Production teams (Quality Circles, Kaizen Events)

▸  Train Line Leaders, machine operators and shift operators in Lean tools (5S, SMED, VSM, Poka-Yoke, Kanban)

▸  Support Production teams in adopting new robotic and automated tools

▸  Mentor operators on work standards and best practices

▸  Chair the monthly Industrial Performance Committee (GM, Industrial, Production, Maintenance)

▸  Report to the General Manager and CODIR on quantified gains (€ and %) from projects completed

▸  Conduct active monitoring of industrial best practices, automation, and robotics

Cross-functional activities

▸  Attend the weekly CODIR as representative of the Industrial Performance function

▸  Collaborate daily with the Production Department (Industrial Manager, Line Leaders, machine operators, shift operators)

▸  Coordinate closely with the Maintenance Department on TPM approach, modifications, and robotic installations

▸  Coordinate with the Product & Innovation Department on new product industrialization

▸  Manage part of the industrial CAPEX budget and purchases of automated and robotized equipment

5. Required profile

Education

▸  Bac+2 to Bac+5 (Associate's to Master's degree) in automation, robotics, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or equivalent

▸  Complementary training appreciated: programming (Python, PLC languages), applied robotics, industrial vision, Lean Six Sigma

Experience

▸  3 to 5 years of experience in an industrial manufacturing environment

▸  Demonstrated initial experience in automation, robotization, or industrial methods

▸  Highly appreciated experience in deploying cobots, AGVs, pick & place systems, or industrial vision

▸  Sector experience a plus: paper, nonwoven, hygiene, food processing, or consumer goods

▸  Function start-up experience (position creation, department structuring) valued

Technical skills

▸  Knowledge of Lean tools: VSM (Value Stream Mapping), SMED, 5S, Kaizen, Poka-Yoke, Kanban

▸  Mastery of industrial KPIs: OEE, MTBF, MTTR, service rate, reject rate

▸  Solid fundamentals in industrial automation: PLCs (Siemens, Schneider), sensors, supervision

▸  Strong affinity for robotic solutions: collaborative robots, AGVs, pick & place systems, industrial vision

▸  Ability to analyze a manual execution and transform it into an automated or robotized process

▸  Programming basics: Python, PLC scripts, cobot configuration, structured languages

▸  Analysis tools: advanced Excel, ideally Minitab, Power BI or equivalent

▸  Ability to read mechanical drawings, electrical and pneumatic schematics

▸  Notions of industrial cost accounting: cost of goods, quantified valuation of gains

Soft skills (essential for this position)

The required profile must combine technological affinity, collaborative spirit and a desire for continuous learning. These are the differentiating recruitment criteria.

▸  Strong affinity for technology and development of robotic tools: decisive criterion

▸  Desire to learn and exceed oneself: the position requires continuous skill development in industrial technologies

▸  Technological curiosity: active monitoring of automation, industrial robotics, and Industry 4.0

▸  Collaborative spirit with Production: working daily with field teams, without a distant-expert posture

▸  Autonomy: the position is a department on its own at startup, no safety net, no team

▸  Field sense: comfortable in workshops, able to time, observe, measure, dialogue with operators

▸  Diplomacy: challenge without alienating, engage operators in transformations

▸  Methodological rigor: every project must be quantified (before/after), documented and presented

▸  Pragmatism: prefer a simple solution that works over a sophisticated one that gets stuck

▸  Patience and resilience: robotization projects take 6 to 18 months to bear full fruit

▸  Listening capacity: understand operator reality before proposing an automation

Languages

▸  English: essential, working language (technical documentation, internal communication, exchanges with international suppliers)

▸  French: appreciated as a plus — valuable for the local Togolese context and internal communication, not eliminatory

6. Specific working conditions

▸  Position based at FACAM STAIRWAY industrial site in Togo

▸  Significant field presence: estimated at 60 to 70% of time in workshops, in collaboration with Production

▸  Occasional travel: training, technical trade shows, supplier visits (4 to 6 per year)

▸  Occasional availability for interventions in case of major industrial incidents

▸  Occasional shift-based work during SMED projects, production startups, or robot deployments

7. Performance indicators (KPIs)

The position holder's performance is measured against the following indicators, reviewed quarterly with the General Manager:

Indicator

Phase 1 target (0 to 12 months)

Quantified gains generated (€ and % vs. baseline) : To be defined at start with the GM

Evolution of average TRS / OEE per line : Baseline + 5 points (target > 65%)

Changeover time reduction : 30% on the 3 priority lines

Reject rate reduction : 20% on pilot lines

Number of manual tasks automated or robotized : 4 to 8 per year

Average ROI of robotization projects led : Under 24 months

Number of Kaizen workshops led : 6 to 12 per year

Adherence to project plan presented to CODIR : ≥ 80% of milestones met

8. Position interfaces

Internal interfaces

▸  General Manager: direct hierarchical reporting line

▸  Production Department (daily collaboration): Industrial Manager, Line Leaders, machine operators and shift operators of the 3 lines and Semi-finished Unit

▸  Maintenance Manager: strong coordination on TPM, machine modifications and robotic installations

▸  Industrial Product Manager: new product industrialization

▸  Supply Chain Manager and Senior Buyer: purchases of equipment, automation and robotic solutions

▸  Quality Manager: interactions on process control and non-conformities

▸  IT/IS Manager: process data feeds, integration of automated systems

▸  Finance & Management Control Manager: gains valuation, investment budget

External interfaces

▸  Industrial equipment, automation and robotics suppliers (cobots, AGVs, vision systems)

▸  Automated and robotized systems integrators

▸  Training providers in Lean, Six Sigma and industrial robotics

▸  Industry 4.0 transformation consulting firms

▸  Professional bodies and technical trade shows (automation, robotics)

9. Career development prospects

At the start, the department is led by 1 FTE. Depending on the volume of projects deployed and the maturity of the approach, an increase in headcount is planned:

▸  Phase 2 (at 6 to 12 months): recruitment of a Methods Technician to support the position holder on field projects

▸  Phase 3 (at 12 to 24 months): recruitment of a Robotics or Automation Specialist to strengthen technological expertise

▸  Long-term: the position naturally evolves into a Performance & Methods Department Head role with a team of 2 to 4 people

Possible mid-term career paths:

▸  Performance & Methods Department Manager (with team)

▸  FACAM Industrial Manager (direct management of production lines)

▸  Industry 4.0 Transformation Manager

▸  Plant Manager of an equivalent or larger site

10. Recruitment terms & compensation

PROBATION PERIOD : 3 months, renewable once

SALARY : Competitive package, commensurate with profile and experience

HOUSING : Provided by the company

FLIGHT TICKET : Annual return flight ticket to home country

TRAINING : Continuous training in robotics, automation and industrial methods

START DATE : As soon as possible, Phase 1 of the reorganization plan

RECRUITMENT PROCESS : HR interview · Technical interview with GM · Field interview with Production · Reference checks