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Nebojša Pejić-CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants)

Nebojša Pejić - CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants) - profile avatar
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Belgrade, Serbia

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Experience

Jan 2024 - Jan 2026

CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants)

Ardagh Group

Position Summary
CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants) at Ardagh Group
Industries
Manufacturing
Business Areas
Operations
Production
Project Management
  • Lead the deployment of Lean manufacturing culture across 12 European plants using the Ardagh Metal Packaging System (AMPS).
  • Drive high-impact cost savings and performance improvement projects using Lean Six Sigma DMAIC, SMED, Kaizen, Standard Work, TPM, and A3 methodologies.
  • Led multi-use printing blanket optimization initiative, delivering 57% cost savings across participating plants.
  • Serve as regional Subject Matter Expert for SMED, Kaizen, and Standard Work, reducing label changeover times by up to 42% (1.2 million EUR) and improving line availability.
  • Act as Lean Internal Auditor, CI Trainer, and Workshop Facilitator, strengthening CI capability and leadership maturity across plants.
  • Partner with plant leadership to prioritize initiatives aligned with safety, quality, delivery, cost, and sustainability objectives.
Dec 2020 - Dec 2024

CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants)

Ardagh Group

Position Summary
CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants) at Ardagh Group
Industries
Manufacturing
Business Areas
Business Intelligence
Operations
Project Management
  • Led regional Continuous Improvement initiatives focused on energy reduction, unplanned downtime, spoilage reduction, quality improvement, and ODM reduction across 12 plants.
  • Designed and implemented standardized CI reporting frameworks to support data-driven decision-making at plant and executive levels.
  • As a pioneer in my company, I led the ERP CMR project, architecting Power BI reports that pulled data directly from PLC signals through MES systems, including OEE, Plant Performance, Daily Operations, Energy ARMS, Quality, SPC, and CI Project tracking reports.
  • Led strategic standardization and innovation programs, including Deco standardization, Plant of the Future, Plant of Today.
  • Using BrainCube (IoT technology), I have mastered the art of identifying data patterns to streamline workflows, ensuring that the insights provided to senior management are not just data points, but actionable strategic decisions.
Jul 2015 - Dec 2020

CI Analyst, Europe (12 Plants)

Ardagh Group

Position Summary
CI Analyst, Europe (12 Plants) at Ardagh Group
Industries
Manufacturing
Business Areas
Business Intelligence
Information Technology
Operations
  • Served as business owner for DELMIA Apriso Manufacturing Execution System (MES), working with external IT partners to translate plant requirements into functional system enhancements.
  • Led Schaeffler’s IoT & Sensor-Based initiatives to transition from time-based to predictive maintenance by collaborating with software engineers on sensor-based monitoring.
  • Led development of executive Com-rep – region-wide reporting for senior management, enabling consistent performance visibility across plants.
  • Supported central and local plant leaders with advanced analytics, KPI tracking, and root-cause analysis to accelerate improvement initiatives.
Sep 2014 - Jul 2015

Project Engineer / Technical Controller, Europe (13 Plants)

Ball Packaging Europe

Position Summary
Project Engineer / Technical Controller, Europe (13 Plants) at Ball Packaging Europe
Industries
Manufacturing
Business Areas
Business Intelligence
Operations
  • Member of the Central Europe Engineering team supporting technical and performance initiatives across 13 plants.
  • Led development of region-wide performance reports for senior leadership, supporting data-driven operational decisions.
Sep 2008 - Jun 2014
Serbia

Quality Auditor

Ball Packaging Serbia

Position Summary
Quality Auditor at Ball Packaging Serbia
Industries
Manufacturing
Business Areas
Production
Quality Assurance
  • Led implementation and maintenance of the Quality Management System in a high-volume production environment.
  • Conducted statistical process control and capability analyses across production lines and developed corrective action plans.
  • Planned and executed continuous improvement programs targeting process stability, scrap reduction, and quality performance.
  • Managed supplier quality improvement initiatives using structured quality tools.
  • Led customer claim handling using RCA, CCS, and lessons learned workshops, ensuring rapid containment and long-term corrective actions.

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Manufacturing.

Manufacturing
Profile match chart

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Operations, Business Intelligence, Production, Quality Assurance, Information Technology, and Project Management.

Operations
Business Intelligence
Production
Quality Assurance
Information Technology
Project Management
Profile match chart

Summary

Results-driven Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence leader with 17+ years of experience in the metal packaging manufacturing industry, including 6+ years in the Quality Assurance department and 10+ years leading Continuous Improvement transformation across multi-plant manufacturing environments in Europe. Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings, improving OEE, reducing changeover times, and deploying data-driven performance systems. Expert in Lean deployment, standardization programs, and digital performance architecture (Power BI, MES, and automated BI pipelines). Recognized for leading cross-functional teams, influencing senior leadership, and translating complex operational data into strategic, actionable insights. Combines deep production-floor expertise with enterprise-level Lean transformation leadership.

Skills

  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (Dmaic, Smed, Kaizen, 5s, A3, Tpm, Spc)
  • Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
  • Quality Assurance And Graphic
  • Multi-Plant Program Leadership (Europe-Wide Scope)
  • Manufacturing Analytics & Bi Automation
  • Power Bi Dashboard Design & Development
  • Mes Ownership (Delmia Apriso)
  • Oee, Downtime, Energy, Quality, Spoilage Reduction
  • Standardization & Best Practice Deployment
  • Cross-Functional Leadership & Change Management

Data & Systems

  • Power Bi (Advanced Developer)
  • Sap Bw, Sap Lumira
  • Delmia Apriso (Manufacturing Execution System)
  • Infinity Qs Quality Management Software
  • Plc-To-Bi Data Integration
  • Braincube (Iot Technology)
  • Schaeffler Monitoring Platform

Productivity Tools

  • Microsoft Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot), Powerpoint, Word

Languages

Serbian
Native
English
Advanced
Spanish
Elementary

Education

Oct 2002 - Jun 2007

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade

Master of Engineering, Industrial Engineering · Industrial Engineering · Belgrade, Serbia

Certifications & licenses

Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

SGS

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 5
Experience in Manufacturing 17 y
Avg length 3 y 7 m
Longest experience 5 y 9 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 1 (Serbia)
Primary country Serbia

Expertise

Recent roles CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants), CI Analyst, Europe (12 Plants), Project Engineer / Technical Controller, Europe (13 Plants)
Main industries Manufacturing
Main business areas Operations, Business Intelligence, Production

Qualifications

Highest degree Master
Certifications earned 1

Profile

Created
Last Update

Frequently asked questions

Have questions? Find more information here.

Nebojša is based in Belgrade, Serbia and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.
Nebojša speaks the following languages: Serbian (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary).
Nebojša has at least 17 years of experience. During this time, Nebojša has worked in at least 4 different roles and for 3 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 5 months. Note that Nebojša may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Nebojša would be well-suited for roles such as: CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants), CI Analyst, Europe (12 Plants), Project Engineer / Technical Controller, Europe (13 Plants).
Nebojša's most recent position is CI Project Manager, Europe (12 Plants) at Ardagh Group.
In recent years, Nebojša has worked for Ardagh Group.
Nebojša is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing.
Nebojša is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Business Intelligence, and Production. Nebojša also has some experience in Quality Assurance, Information Technology, and Project Management.
Nebojša has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing.
Nebojša has recently worked in business areas like Operations, Project Management, and Business Intelligence.
Nebojša holds a Master in Industrial Engineering from Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Belgrade.
Nebojša has 1 certificate: Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Nebojša is immediately available part-time for suitable projects.
Nebojša's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.
To hire Nebojša, click the Meet button on the profile to request a meeting and discuss your project needs.

Average rates for similar positions

Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.

800
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Market avg: 488-648 €
The rates shown represent the typical market range for freelancers in this position based on recent contracts on our platform.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.