Director, Operational Excellence

Jobtailor; Vantaa; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Adven seeks a seasoned professional to lead and accelerate continuous improvement across Finland and the Baltics. You will manage multiple initiatives spanning operations, commercial, fuel, and procurement, delivering measurable efficiency gains and EBITDA improvements.

You will develop robust business cases, coordinate with country managers, and ensure practical implementation with clear financial impacts.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Economics, Business, or a relevant equivalent
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, business development, management consulting, or a similar field
• Proven track record in leading improvement initiatives from business case development through implementation and measurable results
• Strong commercial, financial, and technical understanding of an asset-intensive business
• Experience in managing multiple initiatives and stakeholders across functions and countries
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a hands-on and results-oriented approach
• Professional proficiency in Finnish and English
• Experience from the energy, utilities, infrastructure, manufacturing, or another asset-intensive industry is strongly preferred
• Experience with electrification, energy markets, reserve markets, or energy-related investments is considered a strong advantage

Responsibilities

• Lead Adven's continuous improvement process across Finland and the Baltics
• Manage a portfolio of improvement initiatives across operations, commercial, fuel, and procurement
• Identify, prioritize, and drive initiatives improving efficiency, EBITDA, cash flow, and overall operational performance
• Work with Country Managers, country management teams, and initiative owners to ensure successful implementation and measurable results
• Develop and evaluate business cases, investment options, and financial impacts
• Monitor and report progress and results across Finland and the Baltics
• Support Finance in budgeting and forecasting
• Support selected innovation and investment topics, particularly electrification and reserve markets
• Analyse market and technology developments to identify new opportunities
• Report to the SVP, Finland & Baltics and collaborate with Country Managers across the region
• Travel across Adven's operations and countries

Job description

• Lead Adven's continuous improvement process across Finland and the Baltics
• Manage a portfolio of improvement initiatives across operations, commercial, fuel, and procurement
• Identify, prioritize, and drive initiatives improving efficiency, EBITDA, cash flow, and overall operational performance
• Work with Country Managers, country management teams, and initiative owners to ensure successful implementation and measurable results
• Develop and evaluate business cases, investment options, and financial impacts
• Monitor and report progress and results across Finland and the Baltics
• Support Finance in budgeting and forecasting
• Support selected innovation and investment topics, particularly electrification and reserve markets
• Analyse market and technology developments to identify new opportunities
• Report to the SVP, Finland & Baltics and collaborate with Country Managers across the region
• Travel across Adven's operations and countries

Requirements

• Master's degree in Engineering, Economics, Business, or a relevant equivalent
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, business development, management consulting, or a similar field
• Proven track record in leading improvement initiatives from business case development through implementation and measurable results
• Strong commercial, financial, and technical understanding of an asset-intensive business
• Experience in managing multiple initiatives and stakeholders across functions and countries
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a hands-on and results-oriented approach
• Professional proficiency in Finnish and English
• Experience from the energy, utilities, infrastructure, manufacturing, or another asset-intensive industry is strongly preferred
• Experience with electrification, energy markets, reserve markets, or energy-related investments is considered a strong advantage

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in leading continuous improvement initiatives, with a strong focus on operational excellence, financial analysis, and stakeholder management across asset-intensive industries. Proficient in developing business cases and driving measurable results in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Economics, or Business
• 5+ Years of Experience in Operational Excellence
• Proven Track Record in Leading Improvement Initiatives
• Strong Analytical and Project Management Skills
• Professional Proficiency in Finnish and English

Hard Skills

• Continuous Improvement
• Business Case Development
• Financial Analysis
• Project Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Operational Performance Improvement
• Market Analysis
• Budgeting and Forecasting
• Problem-Solving
• Initiative Management

Soft Skills

• Excellent Communication
• Results-Oriented Approach
• Hands-On Leadership
• Collaboration
• Analytical Thinking

Industry Keywords

• Energy
• Utilities
• Infrastructure
• Manufacturing
• Electrification
• Energy Markets
• Reserve Markets
• Asset-Intensive Business
• Operational Excellence
• Business Development