Presentation of professions

In brief

Design, perfect and manufacture while achieving technical and operational excellence.

Roles & responsibilities

Design and develop products and improve and perfect processes and equipment. The goal is to ensure standards, deadlines and budgets are always respected.

Industrial operations

The industrial operations teams use sophisticated piloting tools and increasingly innovative systems for assisted decision-making and manufacturing process management. These teams, who account for nearly 50% of the Group's work force, are responsible for manufacturing and equipment reliability.

Their role is to support production by ensuring respect for client commitments with regard to quality, deadlines and costs. They maintain an unrelenting focus on employee safety and environmental protection.

Our teams have to motivate teams, master techniques and maintain managerial control. At our manufacturing sites, this overall responsibility is handled by streamlined organizations, ensuring high operational independence.

Technical support

Technical support teams play a key role in transversal projects to improve industrial performance. They design and implement investment projects and ensure the transfer of best practices and know-how in all technical areas.

Our technical experts bring added value to operational units and enhance efficiency by facilitating the exchange of information and experience.

Examples of positions

• Process engineer
• Production engineer
• Maintenance engineer
• Quality engineer
• Workplace health and safety manager
• Quarry engineer
• Geologist

Join us if you are:

• an engineer with specific skills in materials, geology, mechanics or electrical engineering,
• rigorous and methodical,
• passionate about industry, manufacturing and the strategic aspects of transversal projects,
• interested in working abroad.

Next steps

After working in a manufacturing role, you can target new responsibilities in one of our technical centers, other R&D professions, purchasing, sales or even human resources!

In brief

Anticipate needs, build relationships and be attentive to client requirements. In other words, put the client at the center of your concerns.

Roles & responsibilities

Marketing

Our marketing teams work with R&D, manufacturing and sales to develop products and services that meet the needs of our customers.

They are responsible for identifying and anticipating client behavior and expectations, guiding Lafarge's investment decisions by identifying high-growth market segments and developing effective sales tools.

Sales

Our sales teams make a significant contribution to the Group's growth and development. Their role involves managing client portfolios, capitalizing on the Group's assets and reinforcing market share.

Examples of positions

• Sales manager
• Regional manager
• Sales representative/area manager
• Product manager
• Marketing manager

Join us if you are:

• a graduate of a business or engineering school (further training in marketing is a plus),
• comfortable giving advice and negotiating,
• outgoing, with good people skills.

Next steps

Sales employees can progress into marketing or even take on responsibility for a small business unit. Marketing employees might consider a sales job in their native country or abroad.

In brief

Drive growth and control industrial costs within a coherently structured financial framework.

Roles & responsibilities

Lafarge shares are traded on several stock exchanges, including Paris, London and Frankfurt. The Group is enjoying strong external growth and financial management is a matter of strategic importance.

The finance and control teams work in a number of areas to integrate new acquisitions and standardize methodologies in management control financing and cash flow, accounting, consolidation, taxation, legal issues and insurance.

Their goal is to optimize the planning cycle and administrative management of business units while respecting local regulations, and to manage performance to control growth and industrial costs.

Examples of positions

• Controller
• Treasurer
• Financial and administrative manager
• Consolidation analyst
• Tax specialist
• Legal adviser

Join us if you are:

• a graduate of a business school with a major in financial management,
• rigorous and at ease with figures,
• able to establish relationships easily and comfortable engaging with the financial community, shareholders and other partners.

Next steps

With 2 or 3 years of experience, you will be able to take on new responsibilities in operations, positions requiring expert knowledge (taxation, complex financial engineering) or roles in strategy and business development.

In brief

Create a competitive edge by optimizing costs.

Roles & responsibilities

Purchasing and logistics lie at the crossroads of a number of functions. These teams work to optimize costs for each family of products or services. Their work involves organizing the purchase or sale of products in line with the Group's strategy, managing stocks, and ensuring the transport and delivery of products in the most cost- and time-effective way.

Teams are responsible for budgets which can exceed 100 million euros. They are involved in projects from the very earliest stages and enjoy a comprehensive overview of operations.

Examples of positions

• Site purchasing manager
• Lead buyer
• Purchasing manager
• Logistics coordinator
• Supply chain coordinator

Join us if you are:

• a graduate of an engineering or business school with further training in purchasing, logistics or supply chain management,
• able to negotiate and establish strong working relationships.

Next steps

After working in purchasing or logistics, you can apply your expertise at an industrial site, within a plant management team or in marketing and sales.

In brief

Assess risks and performance, and advise business units.

Roles & responsibilities

The teams audit business units and processes in order to assess the level of risk and the efficiency of management controls. They also assess the performance of operations in all fields (sales, procurement, logistics, finance, etc.).

These teams do more than traditional "auditing". They play an important role in management assignments and advise business units to help them improve and grow.

Examples of positions

• Mission auditor
• Mission manager
• Mission director

Join us, if you are:

• a graduate of an engineering or business school or hold an M.B.A.,
• an experienced employee in an auditing agency or consulting firm,
• able to build strong relationships and a skilled communicator.

Next steps

After 3 years within the Group Audit, you could take on a large variety of roles within the Group's operations: project management, sales and marketing, strategy and business development, finance and control...

In brief

Identify growth priorities for the Group, develop, challenge and guide.

Roles & responsibilities

These teams perform macro-economic analysis on the basis of clearly defined parameters, conduct country studies, market and competition evaluations and identify strategic options.

Working upstream on key strategic projects, they play a significant role in merger-acquisition studies, perform evaluations, conduct financial analyses and ensure due diligence.

Examples of positions

• Strategic studies manager
• Strategy manager
• Business development manager
• Project manager

Join us, if you are:

• a graduate of an engineering or business school or hold an M.B.A.,
• interested in strategy and international issues,
• a strong communicator with good people skills.

Next steps

Take on more responsibility in the same professional field, or an operational role in marketing, finance or production, or spend time working abroad in preparation for a role on the management committee.

In brief

Operate at the heart of new information technologies.

Roles & responsibilities

Information systems

These I.T. teams develop, integrate and upgrade the increasingly sophisticated information systems that are required by an international group like Lafarge. For example, they implement shared tools such as E.R.P., plant information systems and websites.

e-solutions

The teams use the latest technologies to upgrade work methods and modernize tools in areas such as customer relations, purchasing and recruitment.

Examples of positions

• I.T. project manager
• Knowledge management manager
• e-business coordinator
• Webmaster
• Front and back office trading manager

Join us if you are:

• a qualified I.T. specialist,
• passionate about new technologies and customer service,
• interested in working on innovative pilot projects as part of a team.

Next steps

After a few years, you might like to move towards a position in sales or marketing.

Testimonial: Sylvie, French, I.T. project manager, Aggregates Business, France

"I analyze the needs of future users in order to develop, implement and upgrade management software. I'm involved in an important integrated I.T. project for sales management.

One of the great things about Lafarge is the opportunity to work in small, close-knit teams. This encourages strong working relationships. Managers are accessible and the atmosphere is constructive and motivating."

In brief

Listen to people and organizations to bring employees together, share ideas and make the most of assets.

Roles & responsibilities

Human resources

Our human resources teams anticipate and support changes within the Group. As well as managing employees on a day-to-day basis, these teams make a constant effort to improve the Group's performance by recruiting new talent, encouraging internal mobility and developing employees' skills through training.

Communication

In a complex environment, our communications teams work in an international network to develop the Group's corporate image.

These teams support the development of professions and individuals by encouraging dialogue and cohesion within the Group.

Examples of positions

• Human resources development manager
• Human resources site manager
• Career management adviser
• Communications manager
• Press relations manager

Join us, if you are:

• a humanities graduate (journalism, political science, etc.) of a business school or university,
• a sociable person who is open to multi-cultural environments,
• skilled in English.

Next steps

You might enjoy taking on a transversal role within an operational unit or abroad.