Foreground is partnering with a prominent regional food manufacturer to appoint an Operations Excellence Manager to spearhead continuous improvement initiatives across the plants manufacturing and supply chain operations.

This strategic role is designed for a seasoned operations leader who brings both analytical precision and a transformation mindset. The ideal candidate will be tasked with architecting and embedding a high-performance culture, driving operational maturity across functions, and ensuring scalable efficiency through data-driven decision-making, lean methodologies, and cross-functional alignment.

Key Objectives

• Institutionalize a culture of excellence across the plant, grounded in structured problem-solving and measurable outcomes.
• Lead the design and execution of continuous improvement frameworks that elevate performance, enhance cost efficiency, and support long-term scalability.
• Serve as a strategic operations advisor to senior leadership, aligning improvement initiatives with broader business priorities and expansion plans.

Core Responsibilities

• Design, lead, and sustain lean transformation programs across production, logistics, maintenance, and quality functions.
• Facilitate advanced root cause analyses and corrective action plans for systemic performance issues.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leadership to define operational KPIs, cascading targets through all plant levels.
• Develop internal training programs to uplift capability in Lean, Six Sigma, and operational analytics.
• Monitor progress of initiatives using structured governance routines and visual performance management tools.
• Act as an operational advisor during technology implementations, capacity expansion projects, and new product introductions, ensuring readiness and process stability.
• Foster internal alignment between business, operational, and quality objectives while reinforcing cost discipline and output reliability.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline; Masters degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in industrial or food manufacturing, including 3+ years in a transformation or continuous improvement leadership role.
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher (Black Belt preferred).
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale process improvement or turnaround projects.
• Deep familiarity with operational excellence frameworks, TPM, and structured KPI systems.
• Exposure to international food safety regulations (HACCP, ISO 22000) is highly advantageous.
• Executive-level communication and stakeholder engagement skills.