Senior Director, Global Operations Improvement

Position Summary:

The Senior Director, Global Operations Improvement reports to the Corporate Vice President, Global Operations and is accountable for driving priority improvements across Operations through implementation and measurable, sustained results. The role works directly with plants and functions to identify and solve performance gaps, improve processes, and drive measurable improvements in quality, service, cost, and operational performance.

The role leads the Operations improvement organization, including Operational Excellence (OpEx) and Operations Systems teams. Managers within these areas lead the day-to-day teams, including plant-based resources that report through this organization with a dotted-line relationship to plant leadership. The organization works with plant and functional teams to identify root causes, implement solutions, improve processes and systems, and make sure improvements are documented and sustained.

The role builds on the OpEx capabilities already established within Manufacturing while expanding the focus across Operations. Plant and functional leaders continue to own their performance, while this role is accountable for driving agreed priority improvements and aligning improvement resources to the areas where they can have the greatest impact.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Drive Operations Improvement

• Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities based on company priorities and Operations performance gaps.
• Work directly with plants and functions to understand problems, identify root causes, and drive practical solutions through implementation and measurable results.
• Bring together and deploy the right improvement, plant, functional, technical, and systems resources to solve priority problems.
• Lead larger improvements that cross plants, functions, or regions and proactively identify areas where additional improvement focus is needed.
• Establish common processes and standards where needed and make sure improvements are implemented, documented, measured, sustained, and replicated where applicable.

Operational Excellence & Improvement Capability

• Lead OpEx and Operations Systems, including plant-based resources, while maintaining a strong dotted-line connection with the plant leaders they support.
• Build on the existing Manufacturing OpEx model, including structured problem solving, assessments and gap closure, common methods and standards, training, and coaching, with a focus on translating these capabilities into measurable operating improvements.
• Align improvement resources to company and Operations priorities while balancing the ongoing improvement needs of the plants and functions.
• Build improvement and problem-solving capability across Operations through practical methods, training, coaching, and hands-on support.
• Share and scale successful improvements, documented standards, and lessons learned across plants and functions.

Operations Systems

• Lead Operations Systems and align system priorities with Operations and process improvement needs.
• Serve as the Operations bridge with IT, translating business and process needs into clear system requirements and solutions.
• Drive system enhancements, integration, automation, and technology that simplify processes and improve operational performance.
• Make sure system and technology changes support simplified, standardized, and improved processes.
• Partner with IT and Operations teams through implementation and adoption and make sure system improvements deliver the expected results.

Knowledge, Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong Operations background with a track record of driving meaningful improvements and sustained results.
• Experience leading complex improvement efforts across multiple plants, functions, or regions.
• Strong understanding of structured problem solving and improvement methods, including Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or similar approaches.
• Experience using systems, automation, and technology to improve processes and performance.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, communication, and ability to influence across functions.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive Operations, process improvement, or related experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Experience leading teams and significant cross-functional improvement efforts across multiple sites or functions.
• Medical device, pharmaceutical, or another regulated manufacturing industry experience preferred.
• Lean/Six Sigma or equivalent certification preferred.
• Typically requires approximately 20%+ travel.

Originally posted on Himalayas