Program Manager Operational Excellence

One of Nordic Investin’s partner companies is looking for a Program Manager Operational Excellence, with Nordic Investin leading the recruitment process. You know that operational excellence is not a workshop series; it is a disciplined way of finding, testing and sustaining better performance.

The partner is coordinating improvement initiatives across several operational units. You will establish a coherent programme, develop local ownership and make sure that process changes deliver measurable improvements in quality, capacity, cost and reliability.

Projects are judged by operational outcomes, benefit ownership and the quality of decisions made along the way. Governance should create clarity and momentum while making risk visible early enough for meaningful action.

How you will work

You will create a practical delivery rhythm across workstreams with different owners and incentives. The partner expects concise preparation, explicit dependencies and decisions recorded clearly enough to survive handovers. Escalation should bring options and consequences, not only a problem statement.

This is a leadership role with responsibility for direction, governance and the capability of others. You will create enough structure for teams to move independently while stepping into detail when risk or ambiguity demands it. The partner wants visible ownership without unnecessary hierarchy.

What you will do

• Define the operational excellence programme and improvement portfolio.

• Prioritise initiatives using value, feasibility and risk.

• Coach workstream leaders in structured problem solving.

• Create common measures and benefit tracking.

• Remove cross functional barriers and escalate decisions.

• Build routines that sustain gains after project closure.

What you will bring

• Senior programme or operational improvement experience.

• Strong process analysis and facilitation capability.

• Evidence of measurable performance improvement.

• Ability to lead through influence across several units.

• Experience with benefits, governance and executive reporting.

• Professional English and clear operational communication.

Experience that would add value

• Lean, Six Sigma or comparable improvement methodology.

• Manufacturing, logistics or service operations.

• Transformation office leadership.

A background that can succeed here

Your background may include operations, engineering, consulting or continuous improvement. We value practical depth over slogans: you should be able to explain the baseline, intervention, result and control method behind a meaningful improvement.

What makes the opportunity interesting

The role offers broad visibility and a portfolio where successful changes can be scaled. You will help the partner build an improvement capability rather than a temporary collection of projects.

The exact partner, employment model, compensation, start date and working arrangement will be explained openly during the process. Nordic Investin will make sure you understand the context, expectations and decision path before you are asked to commit significant time.

The recruitment conversation

During the process, Nordic Investin will focus on concrete decisions you have made: the context you received, the alternatives you considered, the result you observed and what you would change today. You do not need every optional credential if your core experience transfers and you can explain how you would close the gap.

How to apply

Apply with your CV or LinkedIn profile and a short note describing the most relevant organisation, service, project or financial process you have helped improve. Nordic Investin welcomes candidates with different routes into the profession and assesses applicants on relevant capability, judgement and potential.