Director Operational Excellence

Mediclinic Middle East; Dubai; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Mediclinic Middle East seeks a Head of Operational Excellence to design and lead the permanent process excellence function across its UAE network. You will govern process standards, measure value, and certify baselines and benefits under the risk-sharing contract.

You will chair the Process Council, build an Operations Command Centre for real-time visibility, and drive AI-enabled improvements across facilities in partnership with IT and business units. UAE healthcare experience is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• MBA or related MBA preferred would be advantageous.
• Experience in healthcare operations, operational excellence, or business transformation.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead Operational Excellence strategy and governance across facilities.
• Drive benefits realisation and predict future capacity and performance via the Operations Command Centre.
• Lead AI adoption and automation within operational processes in collaboration with IT and business units.
• Develop and maintain KPI/SLA frameworks and drive change across multi-site organisation.

Skills

Healthcare ops

BPMN 2.0

Lean Six Sigma

Change management

KPI design

Executive comms

AI in healthcare

Governance

Stakeholder mgmt

Capacity planning

Education

Bachelor's in Business Admin / Health Admin / Industrial Eng

MBA preferred

Tools

Tableau

Job description

The Head of Operational Excellence establishes and leads Mediclinic Middle East's permanent process excellence function. The role owns how the organisation's processes are designed, governed, measured and improved: one standard, one named owner and one KPI per process, modelled in BPMN 2.0. It leads the transition from the partner-delivered transformation programme to sustained internal ownership, chairs the Process Council, and independently certifies the baselines and realised benefits on which the programme's risk-sharing contract is settled. The role progressively builds the Operations Command Centre capability: real-time visibility, structured intervention and predictive management of capacity and patient flow across the network. It also leads the adoption of AI and automation within operational processes in partnership with IT, Digital and the relevant business departments.

To build and run the Operational Excellence department as the COO's function for standardisation, performance visibility and continuous improvement across all facilities. The department converts the process re-engineering programme into measured, sustained operational and financial value. It delivers the COO's cost and performance optimisation mandate through evidenced capacity release, an Operations Command Centre that turns process data into live operational control, and AI-enabled processes adopted safely across the network.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

• Operational Excellence Strategy & Governance: Establish and lead the Operational Excellence function, including its operating model, governance, standards and process maturity framework. Chair the Process Council and drive the organisation’s journey towards sustainable continuous improvement.
• Strategic Partner Programme & Benefits Realisation: Lead the organisation’s contribution to the Operational Excellence delivery partnership, overseeing programme governance, validating performance baselines and deliverables, and ensuring that agreed operational and financial benefits are accurately measured and realised.
• Process Performance & Operations Command Centre: Establish and oversee enterprise-wide KPI and SLA frameworks, strengthening operational visibility and intervention capabilities. Lead the evolution towards a predictive Operations Command Centre that enables real-time network visibility and dynamic management of capacity and patient flow.
• Continuous Improvement, AI & Value Creation: Lead the continuous improvement portfolio and translate operational improvements into measurable capacity, cost, productivity and revenue outcomes. Identify and prioritise opportunities to embed AI, automation and digital solutions into operational processes.
• Change Leadership & Capability Building: Drive organisation-wide adoption of Operational Excellence practices and build sustainable internal capability across facilities. Lead stakeholder engagement and change initiatives while ensuring process documentation and practices support regulatory, accreditation and information-governance requirements.

REQUIRED EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Health Administration (MHA), or a related discipline.
• Additional certification in Business Process Management/BPMN 2.0, Change Management (Prosci/ADKAR), or Programme/Project Management (PMP/PRINCE2) would be advantageous.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 12 years’ experience in healthcare operations, operational excellence, or business transformation.
• At least 5 years’ leadership experience within process excellence, continuous improvement, or operational transformation across a multi-site organisation.

Preferred

• Experience establishing and leading a process governance or Operational Excellence function.
• Strong understanding of digitalisation, automation and AI applications within operational processes, including process-to-platform mapping and transformation roadmap development.
• Experience with BPMN 2.0-based process architecture and enterprise-wide process improvement.
• Exposure to outcome- or gainshare-based strategic partnerships and benefit realisation programmes.
• Experience delivering workforce productivity, capacity and operational performance improvement initiatives.
• Healthcare experience within the UAE/GCC region is highly advantageous.

REQUIRED JOB SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Healthcare operations and multi-site operational leadership
• Digitalisation, automation and AI fundamentals: technology mapping (process-to-platform) and transformation roadmapping
• Business process management, BPMN 2.0 and process architecture (APQC)
• Lean / Six Sigma and continuous improvement methodology
• KPI/SLA framework design and performance management
• Benefit realisation, financial modelling and business case discipline
• Governance design, decision rights and change control
• Outcome-based / gainshare contract management
• Change management, adoption measurement and capability building
• Workforce capacity and productivity analytics
• Operations command centre design and real-time operational management
• AI and automation adoption in healthcare operations (use-case identification, piloting, responsible-AI governance)
• BI / dashboard principles (Tableau) as business owner
• UAE healthcare regulatory environment (DHA, DOH, JAWDA/Muashir, JCI, PDPL)
• Executive communication and stakeholder influence