Operational Excellence & Quality Manager

Kone México; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,800,000; Full time

Job summary

KONE Business Services (KBS) is seeking an Operational Excellence & Quality Manager to advance our quality, audit, internal controls and continuous improvement agenda on a global scale. The role focuses on transforming current practices, leading change, and driving data‑driven performance across teams, with emphasis on automation and AI where applicable.

The ideal candidate will have 5–10 years in large‑scale transformations, strong leadership, and a track record of delivering measurable

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–10 years of transforming Quality, Compliance and Continuous Improvement.
• Proven ability to lead and manage cross-functional teams.
• LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt; Black preferred.
• Experience with ISO 9001 Internal Audit or Lead Auditor certification.
• Willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Own continuous improvement and quality management framework across the organization.
• Drive waste reduction, process optimization, and quality improvements.
• Develop and deliver organization‑wide initiatives on improvement and compliance.
• Educate and govern employees in LEAN and Quality principles.
• Coordinate internal and external audits from kickoff to closure.
• Promote a culture of compliance and performance.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Lean Six Sigma

Auditing

ISO 9001

Job description

KONE Business Services (KBS) is a scalable business process platform of KONE dedicated to drive productivity and making KONE's scale happen. With a hybrid service delivery model consisting of +1.400 dedicated professionals in seven locations globally, we drive efficiency and digitalization in business processes for KONE. Job Title - Operational Excellence & Quality Manager We are seeking a development-minded Operational Excellence & Quality Manager to take our Quality, Audit, Internal Controls and Continuous Improvement (LEAN) agendas to the next level. Our ambition is to lead continuous improvement, quality and compliance at KONE and to do that, transform our current, well-worked approach and ways of working. To do that, we are looking for experienced change leader with growth mindset and passion for development. The ideal candidate possesses strong background in managing and developing continuous improvement and quality for global business services organization. He/she has solid background in managing day-to-day (e.g. audits, quality framework) and driving change, knowing what great looks like with proven track record of making it happen. Furthermore, the person is great communicator with curious-mind and experience in leveraging Automation and AI along.

Responsibilities:

• Own the “How” of what good continuous improvement and quality management looks like and enable our teams, through methods, tools and expertise, to identify opportunities for waste reduction, process optimization and improving quality
• Responsibility distribution is est. 60-40 between development stewardship
• Develop and deliver organization wide initiatives around continuous improvement, quality and compliance to enhance service quality & compliance, reduce waste, improve process performance and user experience
• Educate and govern employees on LEAN (Six Sigma, UX) and Quality management principles (framework, Internal controls) by guiding, tracking and reporting the progression towards business targets.
• Promote and lead the culture of continuous improvement and compliance excellence within KBS organization enabling our teams to identify opportunities for waste reduction, process optimization and quality improvements
• Coordinate and/or lead internal and external audits (LRQA, QMS, GMS) from kick-off to actions closure, while maintaining and demanding proper documentation and governance

Capabilities & Requirements:

• Experienced leader with minimum of 5-10 years of experience in driving organization wide transformations in the context of Quality, Compliance and Continuous Improvement, ideally within business services environment
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams. Strong interpersonal and intercultural, project & change management skills allowing effective collaboration across all functions with various levels of stakeholders
• Knowledge and experience of operational process(es) and their continuous improvement through application of Six Sigma, LEAN & Kaizen. LEAN Six Sigma certified (Green minimum, Black preferred)
• Experience with Audit Coordination and Internal Controls with demonstrated experience with ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems. ISO 9001 Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor certification preferred
• Proactive, self-motivated change driver with action orientation and growth mindset passion for change management, continuous improvement and compliance
• Structured, data-driven way of working supported with proficiency in relevant data analysis tools, technology and AI with and curiosity to learn new emerging tech.
• Willingness to travel.

At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.

Read more on https://kone.com/global/en/careers.html

At KONE, our purpose is to shape the future of cities. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, we move two billion people every day, making their journeys safe, convenient, and reliable with smart and sustainable People Flow®. In 2025, KONE had annual sales of EUR 11.2 billion, and at the end of the year over 60,000 employees in close to 70 countries. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.