Head of Operational Excellence

Abbott Laboratories Pte Ltd; Singapore; On-site; SGD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Laboratories Pte Ltd in Singapore is seeking a Head of Operational Excellence to hold plant accountability for embedding sustainable OpEx across all processes.

The role leads an integrated OpEx program focusing on front-line and organizational excellence, utilities, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, maintenance, and quality excellence, with emphasis on process optimization, waste elimination, and value creation.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in an operational role within large-scale manufacturing.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent qualification.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt preferred.
• Strong communication, change management, and leadership skills.
• Global operations experience is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of plant-wide capability in performance metrics and data interpretation.
• Drive visual management and data transparency to enable informed decision-making.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and value-stream initiatives across the plant.
• Assess processes and design future-state layouts to shorten value streams and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Plan, execute and sustain value stream mapping and Kaizen events with risk controls.
• Act as change agent to embed a continuous improvement mindset across the organization.
• Estimate, validate and track financial benefits of improvements with Finance and Operations.
• Partner with site leadership to support business strategy and operational execution.
• Anticipate future challenges and develop proactive plans.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Change management

Leadership

Communication

Facilitation

Project management

Human relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology

The Opportunity

As the Head of Operational Excellence, you will hold overall plant accountability for embedding sustainable Operational Excellence across all processes. The role leads an integrated OpEx program encompassing Front-Line Excellence, Organizational Excellence, Utilities, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Maintenance, and Quality Excellence, with a focus on process optimization, waste elimination, and value creation. You will serve as the primary liaison between the plant and divisional OpEx teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise programs and best-practice deployment, while leading improvement initiatives that deliver year-over-year performance gains and cost savings.

What You’ll Do

• Lead development of plant-wide capability in performance metrics, measurement systems, and data interpretation to improve overall operational results.
• Drive visual management and data transparency to enhance engagement, accountability, and informed decision-making.
• Manage and facilitate continuous improvement initiatives aligned with strategic and operational objectives using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and value-stream methodologies.
• Assess current processes and workflows to identify improvement opportunities and define future-state designs that shorten value streams and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Plan, execute, and sustain value stream mapping and Kaizen events, ensuring risks are assessed, barriers removed, and contingency plans established.
• Act as a change agent by communicating transformation initiatives, building understanding, and embedding a continuous improvement mindset across the organization.
• Estimate, validate, and track financial benefits of improvement projects in partnership with Finance and Operations.
• Partner with the site leadership team to support business strategy development, operational execution, and organizational design.
• Anticipate future operational challenges and proactively develop plans to address them.
• Support the Site Director in strategic planning and execution.
• Identify systemic issues through data and root-cause analysis, defining and driving corrective and preventive action plans.
• Lead the Training and Development function, ensuring technical and leadership programs meet current and future organizational needs.
• Continuously assess and enhance learning and development programs to align with changing business requirements.
• Cultivate a strong knowledge-sharing culture, including structured knowledge management, best-practice identification, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lead customer, affiliate, and external stakeholder visits to showcase Abbott’s value proposition.
• Lead Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and external engagement with schools, institutions, and community partners.

Requirements

• Strong knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, with proven capabilities in human relations, communication, change management, employee engagement, facilitation, and project management. Demonstrates a broad, global understanding of business operations.
• Proven ability in coaching and mentoring, with strong influencing and negotiation skills.
• Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification is preferred.
• At least 10 years of professional experience in an operational role within a large-scale manufacturing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage employees at all levels and clearly articulate goals.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with plant-wide teams to motivate, develop, and drive performance.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent qualification.

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at https://www.abbott.com, on https://www.facebook.com/Abbott and on https://twitter.com/AbbottNews.

The base pay for this position is

N/A

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY:

Project Management

DIVISION:

ANSC Nutrition Supply Chain

LOCATION:

Singapore > Singapore : SN01

WORK SHIFT:

Standard

TRAVEL:

No

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:

Not Applicable

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:

Not Applicable