Director, Operational Excellence

C01 Cochlear Limited (Australia); City of Lake Macquarie; On-site; AUD 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global leadership exposure

Senior leadership environment

Cross-site transformation initiatives

Job summary

Cochlear is seeking a Director, Operational Excellence to lead the ongoing deployment and evolution of our Operational Excellence strategy across a global manufacturing network. You will partner with senior leaders to embed consistent ways of working, drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost and engagement, and lead an evolving OE team.

This permanent full-time role is ideally based at Cochlear’s global headquarters at Macquarie University in Sydney, with travel to other

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in Operational Excellence or manufacturing.
• Proven delivery of large-scale Operational Excellence programs.
• Strong governance, risk management and value realisation capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment of Cochlear’s Operational Excellence strategy across the global manufacturing network.
• Drive continuous improvement, Lean practices and organisational capability initiatives.
• Develop priorities, milestones and governance to ensure delivery and value.
• Partner with global leaders to align sites and remove barriers.
• Provide executive reporting on progress, risks and outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Operational Excellence

Manufacturing

Program & Portfolio Management

Stakeholder Management

Job description

Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time.

Cochlear’s mission is to help people hear and be heard. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear is dedicated to helping people with moderate to profound hearing loss experience a world full of sound. We aim to transform the way people understand and treat hearing loss and innovate to connect people with future technologies. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives. Learn and grow with us as we tackle the most complex challenges in helping more people to experience a lifetime of hearing.

The Opportunity Cochlear is looking for a Director, Operational Excellence to lead the continued deployment and evolution of our Operational Excellence strategy across our global manufacturing network. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to drive the execution and evolution of Cochlear’s Operational Excellence roadmap, driving sustainable improvements across the Cochlear Manufacturing System, continuous improvement, Lean practices and organisational capability. Working across a global, multi-site manufacturing environment, you will partner with senior leaders and site stakeholders to embed consistent ways of working and deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost and employee engagement. You will also lead the Operational Excellence team while remaining hands‑on in supporting program delivery.

This is a permanent full‑time role, ideally based at our global headquarters at Macquarie University in Sydney.

For the right candidate, we will also consider our other manufacturing locations in Brisbane, Australia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Chengdu, China.

The role requires regular travel across our manufacturing network.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the deployment and ongoing evolution of Cochlear’s global Operational Excellence strategy, roadmap and governance framework across the manufacturing network
• Drive the Operational Excellence blueprint and program of work to accelerate delivery of sustainable business value
• Oversee the continued development and embedment of the Cochlear Manufacturing System, continuous improvement system, Lean practices and organisational capability initiatives
• Establish clear priorities, milestones, success measures and governance that maintain momentum and hold stakeholders accountable for delivery
• Partner with global manufacturing leaders and site stakeholders to align different perspectives, remove barriers and embed Operational Excellence within local operations
• Identify, prioritise and govern improvement opportunities that deliver measurable outcomes across safety, quality, delivery, cost and employee engagement
• Influence across functions and sites without relying on direct authority, building commitment to common standards and scalable ways of working
• Lead, stabilise and develop an evolving Operational Excellence team, empowering team members and broader site resources to deliver the roadmap
• Provide clear executive‑level reporting on progress, risks, outcomes and value realisation, and contribute as a key member of the Global Manufacturing & Logistics leadership team

About You

• Significant senior leadership experience in Operational Excellence, continuous improvement or manufacturing, including successful delivery of a large‑scale Operational Excellence program
• Demonstrated experience taking an Operational Excellence framework or roadmap through rollout, implementation, embedment and value realisation
• Strong manufacturing experience, ideally gained in a global or multi‑site environment
• Proven ability to work across cultures and locations, align stakeholders with differing perspectives and influence effectively without direct authority
• Experience building, leading and developing high‑performing teams, with remote people leadership experience viewed favourably
• Strong program and portfolio management capability, including governance, prioritisation, risk management, progress reporting and value realisation
• Excellent executive communication, stakeholder management and change leadership skills
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect improvement activity to operational priorities and measurable business outcomes undefined

Desirable Experience:

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification
• Experience working in medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or another regulated manufacturing environment

Other Key Benefits:

• Opportunity to shape the next phase of Operational Excellence across a global manufacturing organisation
• Lead business‑critical transformation initiatives with measurable impact across multiple manufacturing sites
• Join a senior global leadership environment with significant visibility and influence
• Build and develop an emerging Operational Excellence function while leveraging a strong foundation already in place
• Global role with cross‑cultural exposure and regular engagement across our manufacturing network

How we recognise your contribution

At Cochlear we value and welcome the unique contributions, perspectives, experiences and backgrounds of our employees and aim to build a culture that celebrates and leverages these differences, creating a sense of belonging and enabling our people to realise their full potential.

Through our internal programs and employee benefits, we aim to create an environment where our people will feel value and supported. Whether your focus is on continuous learning, professional development or simply finding an environment which enables you to thrive whilst balancing family or personal life commitments, then we have several programs in place to support you. For more information about Life at Cochlear, visit www.cochlearcareers.com

Our growth is creating great opportunities! Our team is expanding and we want to hire the most talented people we can. Continued success depends on it. So once you've had a chance to explore our current open positions, keep track of both your progress in the selection process, and new postings that might interest you! We’re the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. We have provided more than 600,000 implantable devices, helping people of all ages to lead full and active lives. We help people hear and be heard. We empower people to connect with others and live a full life. We help transform the way people understand and treat hearing loss. We innovate and bring to market a range of implantable hearing solutions that deliver a lifetime of hearing outcomes.