Manager, 80/20 & Business Transformation

Are you inspired by challenging the status quo? Do you thrive in collaborative environments that drive results? If so, Gates could be for you.

Gates is a leading manufacturer of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions. We push the boundaries of material science to engineer solutions that continually exceed customer expectations.

Let's simplify it, think belts and hoses. Found in motorcycles, conveyor belts, cars, tractors, blenders, vacuum cleaners, bicycles, & 3D printers just to name a few. Because why not do it all?

What to expect

At Gates Corporation, we’re driven by a simple but powerful purpose:to advance the way the world moves. From powering critical industrial applications to enabling cleaner, more efficient mobility, our products and solutions keep industries, communities, and economies moving forward. We believe in innovation with purpose, operational excellence, and empowering our people to make a measurable impact.

The80/20 principleis at the heart of how we focus—identifying the 20% of products, customers, and processes that deliver 80% of our value, and optimizing them for maximum efficiency and growth.

As theManager 80/20 – EMEA, you will be the catalyst for operational focus and strategic clarity across our regional business units. You’ll lead the implementation of the 80/20 methodology to streamline complexity, improve profitability, and sharpen our go-to-market strategies. Your work will directly influence decision‑making at the highest levels, ensuring that Gates EMEA invests its time, talent, and resources where they matter most.

The successful candidate can be based from either our Erembodegem office or our Regional Headquarters in Luxembourg.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead the deployment of the 80/20 methodology across EMEA business units, ensuring alignment with global corporate strategy.
• Drive profitable growth by identifying untapped opportunities, eliminating business complexity, and accelerating execution of strategic initiatives that strengthen market position and deliver sustainable value creation.
• Partner with regional leadership to identify high‑value customers, products, and processes—and develop action plans to optimize them.
• Facilitate cross‑functional workshops to drive simplification, SKU rationalization, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Analyze complex data sets to uncover trends, opportunities, and risks, translating insights into actionable growth strategies.
• Track and report on 80/20 program performance, ensuring measurable results and continuous improvement.
• Act as a change champion—coaching teams, overcoming resistance, and embedding 80/20 thinking into the culture.

Keys to Success

• Requires in-depth conceptual and practical knowledge in own areas and knowledge of other areas

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None
• Leads others to solve complex problems; uses analytical thinking, tools and judgement to identify innovative solutions
• Assists upper level management and staff as a technical specialist or advisor
• May lead teams or projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and/or complexity

Requirements And Preferred Skills

• Bachelor's degree required, MBA/Master's in relevant field is preferred.
• 8 to 10 years of progressive leadership experience with a mid or large‑size industrial manufacturing company, preferably in a business transformation or change management role, including prior single‑site or preferably, multi‑site operations responsibility.
• In-depth conceptual and practical understanding of 80/20 principles, with demonstrated experience in multi‑divisional 80/20 deployment including PLM (directly or indirectly), manufacturing simplification (including manufacturing design by Quad) & Mfg. Ops leadership support, “Zero Up” P&L segmentation/resource allocation, and commercial aspects of 80/20 policy deployment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in business transformation utilizing 80/20 methodologies, operational excellence, or strategic program management—ideally in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
• A track record of delivering measurable business impact through process simplification and strategic focus.
• Fluency in English; additional EMEA languages are a plus.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% of the time

Why Gates?

Founded in 1911 in Denver, Colorado, Gates is publicly traded on the NYSE. While we might operate in a vast amount of time zones we operate as 'One Gates' and have a c