Head of Dept, NA - Operational Excellence & Standardization

gategroup•Reston, VA

5d•$168,000 - $188,000

About The Position

We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better. The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America is a key leadership role responsible for implementing and maintaining a culture of operational excellence across all business units within the North America region. The primary objective of this position is to execute the group’s operational excellence and standardization strategy, including technology at the regional level, ensuring alignment with the overall business strategy, technology roadmap, and global standards. This role reports to the COO of gategroup NA and ensures that North America meets or exceeds operational excellence objectives set by the organization. The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America will drive continuous improvement, standardization, and sustainable performance across all operational units in the region.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
12+ years of progressive experience in operations, process improvement, or consulting, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence frameworks (Black Belt certification a plus).
Strong track record of driving large-scale process standardization and transformation initiatives.
Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Strategic mindset with operational execution capability.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to influence and drive change across diverse geographies.
Resilient and adaptable leader with a continuous improvement mindset.
Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to manage, lead, and collaborate with multiple managers and project team members.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aviation, airline catering, foodservice, or logistics preferred.
MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence frameworks (Black Belt certification a plus).

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the North America regional operational excellence strategy by aligning regional goals with overall business and global operational excellence and standardization objectives.
Manage regional operational excellence budgets and resources efficiently to support strategic priorities.
Lead and implement process improvement initiatives within the region to optimize operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and profitability.
Deploy global operational standards throughout North America and ensure consistent adherence across all sites.
Lead regional change management and transformation initiatives to drive sustainable operational improvements, including technology and new business models.
Train, coach, and support unit leadership teams on an ongoing basis (annual recurring training plan), in adopting operational excellence principles and best practices supported by regional and global SMEs, delivering sustainable results with "train the trainer" program. Ensure a follow-up mechanism is in place to ensure continuous adherence to global standards, processes, and systems.
Communicate regional operational excellence performance, progress, and impact to senior North America leadership and global stakeholders.
Identify and drive opportunities for productivity improvement, standardization, stabilization, and growth across all regional operations.
Implement and maintain organizational standards and staffing structures in line with global guidelines, including management layers, span of control, and standard operating procedures.
Serve as a regional expert in lean and continuous improvement, ensuring all North American operational units are applying appropriate lean tools (e.g., value stream mapping, standard work, variance reduction) to maximize throughput while reducing lead times and waste. Provide functional guidance to regional and unit CI managers.
Achieve regional operational objectives by ensuring adherence to standardized methods and procedures; measuring results against regional and global benchmarks; and identifying improvement opportunities.
Build and support an operational audit process and schedules annually.
Participate in defining regional operational performance targets and support the development of annual budgets, growth plan for all North American operational units.
Lead training and capability-building programs to embed standardized processes across teams.
Partner with IT and digital teams to implement tools that support process automation, performance monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.
Champion innovation projects in production, logistics, and service delivery to enhance efficiency and customer experience.
Build, mentor, and lead the Operational Excellence and Standardization team, fostering a culture that embodies Gategroup’s core values.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and proactive risk management.
Ad hoc projects to drive Continuous Improvement.