Operational Excellence Senior Director

ofi; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 175,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation time

Paid sick leave

Company holidays

401K match

Career growth

Job summary

ofi is seeking a Senior Director of Operational Excellence in Chicago to drive end-to-end value chain performance across the region. This role reports to the Global Head of Operational Excellence and requires translating global frameworks to regional needs while managing cross-functional teams.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, strong communication, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Business is required; Master’s Degree is preferred.
• Ten (12+) years of relevant experience in operations or engineering.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and change management capabilities.
• Ability to drive business partnering with analytical mindset and influence operations.
• Experience in Operational Excellence, preferably in Agri-service/CPG/ingredients industry.
• Familiar with metrics analysis and performance.
• LEAN, TPM and Six Sigma Black Belt highly preferred.
• Travel up to 30-40% to other sites, suppliers, customers, and events.

Responsibilities

• Deploy Operational Excellence strategy to achieve world-class value chain processes.
• Engage and communicate the importance of continuous improvement across the organization.
• Develop and execute the regional strategic roadmap to drive Operational Excellence and business results.
• Define new roll-out requirements by identifying milestones and phases.
• Deliver bottom-line results through high-impact projects and improve value delivery.
• Monitor progress by tracking metrics, publishing reports, and recommending improvements.
• Oversee cost, operations, purchasing, inventory, distribution, and facilities.
• Communicate financial and operational impact of improvements.

Skills

Communication skills

Change management

Analytical mindset

Time management

Business partnering

LEAN

Six Sigma Black Belt

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business

Master's Degree preferred

Tools

LEAN

Six Sigma

TPM

Job description

Description

ofi is a global leader in food & beverage ingredients and solutions. Through our core ingredient platforms that we’re known for globally - cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices - we partner with food and beverage manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operators worldwide to help meet evolving consumer needs.

Description

ofi is a global leader in food & beverage ingredients and solutions. Through our core ingredient platforms that we’re known for globally - cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices - we partner with food and beverage manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice operators worldwide to help meet evolving consumer needs.

With deep roots in origin countries and close relationships with farmers, we help deliver quality, traceability, transparency, and resilient supply chains. By combining sourcing expertise, market knowledge, innovation, and technical capabilities, we create value for customers while driving positive impact for people and the planet.

Together, ofi employees advance our Purpose: to be the change for good food and a healthy future.

Position Summary

ofi values in-person collaboration with colleagues - employees are expected to work their specific work schedule on site at their ofi location.

Reporting to the Global Head of Operational Excellence, the Senior Director Operational Excellence will be responsible for driving Operational Excellence in all value chain domains in a given geography. This role will provide the incumbent with a unique opportunity to build their career at ofi. The role involves intensive management of function teams for effective implementation and outcome across the region. It also involves significant internal and external stakeholder management. As Senior Director Operational Excellence, the incumbent will have to adapt and translate Global ofi Operational Excellence framework to regional nuances thereby accelerating the pursuit towards excellence across the E2E value chain domains.

The ideal candidate for this position will be detail orientated, and strategic minded with effective communication skills. They will be able to work well both independently and on a team. The ability to manage priorities, stay organized and meet multiple competing demands will be required for success in this position.

What You’ll Do - Position Responsibilities

• Responsible for deploying Operational Excellence strategy leading to world class value chain process.
• Engage and communicate the importance of continuous improvement (CI) throughout the organization.
• Develops and executes the strategic roadmap for the region to drive Operational Excellence culture and regional business results.
• Define new Operational Excellence roll-out requirements by identifying project milestones, phases, and elements.
• Deliver bottom line results through successful implementation of high impact projects, identify potential to improve the value delivery pipeline and contribute to Cost and Capital Transformation.
• Determine important metrics by analysing business models, gathering information, and evaluating output requirements and formats as per ofi Management Systems
• Drives the Stable, Reliable and Agile framework of Operational Excellence for Problem Solving and Performance delivery at Operations
• Coach daily, weekly, and monthly reviews and analyses of current processes using operational metrics and reports.
• Recommend controls by identifying problems and make sound judgement on improving procedures.
• Monitor operational progress by tracking activity, resolving issues, publishing progress reports, and recommending actions for process improvement.
• Oversee and review a variety of areas including cost, operations, purchasing, inventory, distribution, and facilities.
• Understand and communicate the financial and operational impact of all improvements.
• Provides Operational Performance budgeting input to Regional Head
• Conduct insightful, ad hoc analyses to investigate ongoing or one-time operational issues.
• Partners with the Operational teams to build the Talent pipeline for different roles in Operations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience You’ll Bring – Role Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Business is required; Master’s Degree is preferred.
• Ten (12+) years of relevant experience working in operations or engineering is required.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and change management capabilities is required.
• Must possess the capability to drive business partnering and analytical mindset. Ability to impact operations and effect change without being confrontational, with strong time-management skills is required.
• Experience in Operational Excellence, preferably in Agri-service/CPG/ingredients industry, is required.
• Familiar with relevant metrics analysis and performance is required.
• Experience with LEAN, TPM and Six Sigma Black Belt is highly preferred.
• Travel: This role may require up to 30-40% travel to other worksite locations, suppliers, customers, and business events.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

ofi provides employees with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that is designed to support your career, health, and future. Build a Rewarding Career at ofi!

The pay for this role ranges from $175,000- $218,000 annually and is based on position responsibilities and geographic location. Actual pay within this range may be determined based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and/or other determining factors.

Performance-based Bonuses: Discretionary bonus rewarding company performance as well as your contributions and impact, for eligible roles.

Comprehensive & Affordable Benefits: Coverage for you (and your eligible dependents) with plans designed for peace of mind and savings for the future.

A Culture of Well-being: Paid Volunteer time off, access to events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being for you and your family.

Family Support: Paid parental leave, Fertility benefits and lactation support, including milk shipping for traveling employees.

Additional Perks That Make a Difference

• Vacation time from Day 1 - Your time off starts accruing immediately, growing with your tenure.
• Paid Sick Leave - Rest, recover, and return strong - with paid sick leave on ofi.
• Company Paid Holidays - ofi values work-life balance and the importance of celebrating life’s special moments.
• 401K Match on Day 1 - Invest in your future with our competitive retirement savings program.
• Career Growth and Learning - Join a company committed to developing talent, fostering innovation, and creating meaningful opportunities.

ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: [email protected]

At ofi, we celebrate our diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.