Head of Operation Excellence

The company seeks a Director to lead operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives across global operations, focusing on process optimization, cost reduction, and performance measurement.

This position is responsible for steering continuous improvement efforts throughout all operational processes. The role leads the strategic rollout of operational excellence programs designed to boost efficiency, cut expenses, and elevate overall business results. It also involves creating and upholding global policies, standards, and guidelines while nurturing a workplace dedicated to innovation and process refinement.

Responsibilities

• Create and execute an operational excellence strategy that supports the broader business goals of the organization.
• Oversee a range of continuous improvement projects spanning multiple departments and business units.
• Build and sustain a structured approach for spotting, ranking, and carrying out operational enhancement opportunities.
• Perform in-depth process evaluations, encompassing mapping, redesign, and optimization tasks.
• Spot and remove process bottlenecks, redundancies, and activities that do not add value.
• Roll out best practice operational procedures and standards across various group entities.
• Establish and maintain a set of key performance indicators to track, monitor, and control performance.
• Prepare and share regular reports on operational performance, project progress, and achieved benefits with senior leadership.
• Use data analytics to spot trends, forecast future performance, and make data-driven recommendations to drive continuous improvement.
• Promote a mindset of continuous improvement and operational excellence across the entire organization.
• Guide and mentor cross-functional teams, offering support in operational improvement methodologies.
• Identify training needs and develop, schedule, and deliver training programs on systems, processes, and products, including selecting and developing internal trainers.

Requirements

• At least five years of experience in freight forwarding, ideally within a large international logistics organization.
• A Master's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Over ten years of experience driving operational excellence and continuous improvement in complex, international settings.
• Strong expertise in process analysis, design, and optimization methodologies, including Lean, Six Sigma, and Value Stream Mapping.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools such as Excel, Power BI, and Tableau.
• Experience applying change management principles in large organizations.
• Proven ability to lead and manage cross-functional projects from start to finish.

Nice to have

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification is preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification is desirable.
• Familiarity with commodity trading business processes and systems is a significant advantage.