Operational Excellence Manager

Role Overview

The Operational Excellence Manager will be responsible for improving how the business operates by spotting inefficiencies, redesigning processes, and introducing cost-saving measures across multiple business units. The role focuses on reviewing operations, comparing performance against industry standards, and applying improvement methods such as Six Sigma to raise productivity and profitability. A key outcome of the position is to help the group achieve annual cost reductions of 5% to 10% while improving agility and overall business performance.

Key Accountabilities

Inefficiency Identification and Analysis

• Carry out deep-dive operational reviews across business units such as sales, service, parts, real estate, hospitality, and oil & gas to uncover waste, duplication, and high-cost activities.
• Work with the insights team to compare operational measures like cost-to-revenue ratios and labour productivity with leading industry benchmarks.
• Apply root-cause analysis tools, including fishbone diagrams, to identify why inefficiencies exist, such as duplicated work, overlapping roles, and manual or fragmented processes.
• Study balanced scorecards and business unit reports to identify performance gaps and areas where operational efficiency can be improved.

Cost Optimization and Process Improvement

• Design and rank cost-reduction initiatives such as removing unnecessary steps, centralizing functions, automating work, and introducing energy-efficient solutions.
• Use Lean, Six Sigma, and similar improvement frameworks to simplify and strengthen workflows.
• Identify shared-service opportunities across business units to create scale benefits and reduce duplicated effort.
• Build pilot initiatives for high-impact improvements and expand the successful ones across other business units with clear measurable results.

Execution and Collaboration

• Partner with the Strategic PMO to plan and implement efficiency projects, including defining scope, timelines, and success metrics.
• Collaborate with business unit leaders to secure support for optimization efforts and manage concerns related to operational interruptions or retraining.
• Create training and communication plans that help teams adopt new ways of working.
• Prepare monthly performance updates for leadership covering cost savings, process enhancements, and return on investment.

Culture and Capability Building

• Promote a strong culture of continuous improvement through workshops, recognition initiatives, and business unit-level improvement challenges such as an “Efficiency Idea of the Month” program.
• Train business unit teams on efficiency methods, including Lean basics and Six Sigma fundamentals, to strengthen in-house capability and support long-term gains.
• Encourage sharing of proven practices between business units.
• Define and monitor metrics that measure engagement in efficiency initiatives.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• A master’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline is required.
• Strong knowledge of efficiency methodologies such as Six Sigma and Kaizen, along with process-mapping tools like Visio, is expected.
• Ability to work with data analysis and visualization tools for operational diagnosis and performance review.
• Experience using project management tools such as MS Project to monitor and coordinate improvement projects.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in operational excellence, process improvement, or management consulting, including 3 or more years leading efficiency or cost-optimization initiatives.
• Background in multi-sector environments such as Automotive, Real Estate, and Oil & Gas is preferred and highly relevant.
• Proven success in achieving measurable cost savings and process improvements within a multi-unit organization.
• Strong ability to redesign complex processes and deliver tangible efficiency gains.
• Comfort using data to uncover savings opportunities and guide decisions.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, align stakeholders, and overcome resistance to change.
• Capability to build a continuous-improvement mindset across business units and advocate for change.

Target Outcome

The ideal candidate will help the organization consistently find better ways of working, reduce avoidable costs, and strengthen performance across all business units.