Lean Subject Matter Expert ( 2 years contract)

The National Insurance Company – Daman; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Insurance Company – Daman is seeking a senior Lean & Productivity leader to drive enterprise-wide improvement programs in Abu Dhabi. You will lead strategic initiatives to reduce cycle times, boost productivity, and eliminate waste across value streams.

Responsibilities include coaching senior teams, deploying daily management systems, and embedding standard work with digital enablement. Experience in regulated insurance environments is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Process Management, or Engineering.
• 8–10 years of experience leading enterprise-wide Lean transformations.
• Certifications in Lean Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Green/Belt advantageous.
• Experience in regulated industries (healthcare, insurance, financial services) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver enterprise level productivity, efficiency, and TAT improvements across priority value streams.
• Lead end-to-end Lean transformations and sustainability initiatives.
• Coach leaders and frontline teams in Lean methods and problem solving.
• Collaborate with C-level executives to embed a process-centric culture.

Skills

Lean methodologies

Gemba walks

Root cause analysis

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Data-driven decision making

Collaboration

Kaizen facilitation

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Process Management

Engineering

Lean Practitioner

Lean Six Sigma

Tools

Mindzie

Celonis

Job description

• Lean & Productivity – Strategy Implementation
• Lead high value improvement initiatives that reduce TAT, boost productivity, and remove waste, acting as a hands on driver of operational change.
• Conduct deep dive process diagnostics, root cause analysis, and structured problem solving to identify issues and design practical, implementable solutions.
• Conduct regular Gemba walks and end to end productivity assessments to identify bottlenecks, quantify capacity gaps, and recommend targeted efficiency improvements
• Facilitate Kaizen events, advanced root cause analysis, and digital enabled problem solving sessions to unlock sustainable performance gains.
• Lean Capability Development & Operating Model
• Deploy and sustain daily huddles, visual management, tiered escalation, and standard work to strengthen real time performance management.
• Track and report benefits including capacity release, cost savings, service improvements, and waste reduction to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Work directly with business teams to implement changes, remove barriers, and embed improvements into daily operations.
• Coach leaders and frontline teams, deliver training, and build Lean skills that enable continuous improvement and organizational self-sufficiency.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, process maps, and governance frameworks to lock in new ways of working and support scale up
• Technology Enablement – Lean Digital
• Integrate digital tools, automation, dashboards, and workflow systems into Lean routines to enhance visibility, decision making, and operational control.
• Architect and deploy elements of the Lean Digital Core, including process mining insights, digital huddles, automated KPI reporting, and workflow automation.
• Digitize value stream maps and integrate data flows to enable real time visibility, faster decision making, and scalable improvement. decision-making
• Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management
• Act as a frontline change agent, influencing behaviours, driving adoption of new ways of working, and ensuring long term sustainability of improvements
• Lead change management efforts, ensuring successful adoption of process improvements and governance mechanisms
• Strengthen leadership capability by embedding Lean principles, disciplined problem solving, and a culture of continuous improvement and accountability
• Collaborate with C-level executives and business leaders to embed a process-centric culture within the organization
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to break down process silos and drive enterprise-wide integration & alignment
• Performance Measurement & Value Realization
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure process effectiveness, cost-to-serve and business value/impact
• Develop and track process maturity models to assess and enhance organizational process capabilities
• Use productivity, throughput, SLA, rework, and cost to serve data to diagnose performance gaps and validate improvement impact

Role Objectives and Key Results

• Deliver enterprise level productivity, efficiency, and TAT improvements across priority value streams
• Achieve % reduction in end-to-end TAT across top enterprise value streams.
• Improve productivity (output per FTE or equivalent) % across targeted functions.
• Identify and deliver validated capacity release opportunities, with % implemented and sustained.
• Reduce waste and non-value-added activities by X%, validated through Gemba based diagnostics and data analysis.
• Improve cost to serve or operational cost efficiency by % for priority areas
• Strengthen the enterprise performance operating model and embed disciplined daily workforce management
• Deploy daily huddles, tiered escalation, and visual management across 100% of targeted functions.
• Improve SLA adherence and throughput stability % through real time performance routines.
• Achieve % compliance with standard work, SOPs, and updated process controls.
• Reduce rework, defects, or process variation % across redesigned processes
• Build senior leadership capability and elevate Lean maturity across the organization
• Coach senior leaders and frontline leaders to adopt Lean leadership behaviors and structured problem solving.
• Conduct X strategic Gemba walks with leadership per quarter, with documented insights and action follow through.
• Improve Lean maturity scores by X levels across priority functions.
• Certify X Lean Practitioners structured capability building pathways
• Drive digital Lean enablement to enhance visibility, automation, and decision making
• Deploy digital huddles, automated KPI dashboards, and workflow tools across the organization.
• Digitize 100% of value stream maps for priority processes, enabling real time visibility and decision support.
• Implement process mining insights to identify improvement opportunities and validate impact.
• Launch digital A3/problem solving boards with X% adoption across targeted teams.
• Reduce manual reporting effort by % through automation and digital performance routines
• Ensure sustainability of improvements and drive organization wide adoption of new ways of working
• Achieve % adoption of new processes, digital tools, and performance routines within 90 days of rollout.
• Maintain performance sustainability by %
• Complete structured change readiness and sustainability assessments for 100% of major transformation initiatives.
• Achieve % positive feedback from teams and leaders on clarity, support, and effectiveness of Lean interventions

Experience and Qualifications

• Educational Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Process Management, Engineering, or a related field
• Experience:
• 8 to 10 years of extensive experience leading enterprise-wide Lean transformations, operational excellence programs, or large-scale productivity improvement initiatives in complex, multi-function environments.
• Professional certifications such as Lean Practitioner, Lean Coach, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, Agile/Scrum certifications, and PMP or equivalent project management exposure are highly advantageous
• Experience in regulated industries (healthcare, insurance, financial services) preferred
• Certifications:
• Certification in BPM platforms or process / task mining tools advantageous

Skills and Competencies

• Core Competencies
• Operational Excellence – Deep expertise in Lean methodologies, value stream management, Kaizen, root cause analysis, structured problem solving, and performance operating model deployment.
• Performance Management – Demonstrated success delivering measurable improvements in productivity, TAT, cost, service quality, and operational stability through hands on project execution.
• Deep-dive Analysis & Insights – Strong capability in conducting Gemba walks, operational diagnostics, and end to end process assessments to identify bottlenecks, quantify capacity gaps, and recommend targeted efficiency improvements.
• Operating Model – Proven experience designing and embedding daily management systems, visual management, tiered huddles, and standard work across frontline and leadership levels.
• Capability Development – Skilled in coaching senior leaders and frontline teams to build Lean capability, strengthen operational discipline, and embed continuous improvement behaviors.
• Data-Driven Decision Making – Strong analytical capability with experience using operational data (productivity, throughput, SLA, rework, cost to serve) to diagnose performance gaps and validate improvement impact.
• Process Transformation – Hands on experience implementing digital Lean tools, workflow automation, dashboards, process mining insights, and digital performance routines.
• Lean Digital – Experience architecting or contributing to Lean Digital Core components such as digital huddles, automated KPI reporting, digital A3s, and digital value stream management.
• Change Management – Strong change leadership skills with the ability to influence behaviors, drive adoption, and sustain new ways of working across diverse teams.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Ability to influence senior executives and drive cultural transformation
• Collaboration – Break silos, partner cross-functionally
• Agility – Adapt in a fast-paced insurance environment.
• Technical Skills
• Insurance Knowledge – Core processes (preferred)
• Process Mining & Intelligence Tools (e.g., Mindzie, Celonis)
• Strong knowledge of RPA & workflow automation solutions