The Head of Operational Excellence is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s operational optimization strategyto drive efficiency, enhance productivity, and support sustainable business growth. This role ensures that operations are streamlined, waste is minimized, and product/service quality is improved, leading to an enhanced customer experience and ultimately strengthening the company’s competitive edge.
Additionally, this role fosters a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence across the organization, enabling teams to optimize performance and elevate operational effectiveness.
Key Responsibilities
1. Develop & Execute the Operational Excellence Strategy
Advise the Executive Board on strategic initiatives for operational optimization, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Lead and manage operational excellence projects (DMAIC, DMADV, LEAN) at various levels, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure impact.
Oversee change management processes to minimize resistance and ensure successful adoption of operational improvements.
2. Process Optimization & Standardization
Design and manage the organization-wide process framework, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and seamless integration across functions.
Collaborate with IT and relevant departments to assess, measure, and enhance current operational processes (Process Mining) by identifying inefficiencies and implementing continuous improvements.
Collaborate with IT in process automation and digitization projects
Establish and enforce standardized process design criteria, ensuring stakeholder alignment and cross-functional efficiency.
3. Drive a Culture of Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
Develop and implement training programs on operational excellence across business units.
Design and deploy self-managed improvement initiatives, equipping teams with the tools to drive continuous optimization independently.
Build and develop an in-house operational excellence network, empowering key team members to implement and monitor improvements at all levels.
4. Quality Management
Organize and oversee internal and external quality assessments, including third-party audits and ISO 9001 certification processes.
Handle other strategic tasks as assigned by senior leadership.
Job Requirement
Qualifications & Competencies
Education & Certification
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Quality Management, or a related field.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification is required.
Strong command of English (written and spoken).
Experience
3–5 years of experience leading operational optimization projects within large-scale corporations or retail enterprises.
Proven expertise in Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, and DMADV methodologies for operational efficiency.
Experience with process optimization tools such as Process Mining, Business Process Management (BPM), and data analytics software is a plus.
Minimum 5 years of leadership experience, including managing expert-level operational excellence teams and working directly with C-level executives.
Core Competencies
Strategic Thinking & Execution – Ability to align operational excellence initiatives with business growth objectives.
Stakeholder Management – Strong capability to engage and influence cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
Change Management – Expertise in driving organizational change and fostering a continuous improvement mindset.
Problem-Solving & Decision-Making – Analytical mindset with a data-driven approach to challenges.
Effective Communication & Presentation – Ability to articulate complex ideas and drive executive buy-in.
Negotiation & Influence – Strong ability to advocate for process improvements and secure necessary resources.
