Vice President, Operational Excellence & Business Process Transformation

Ballard Spahr LLP•Burnaby, BC

About The Position

The Vice President, Operational Excellence & Business Process Transformation is a senior executive leader responsible for driving organization‑wide business process optimization and operational transformation. This role plays a critical part in positioning Ballard as a world‑class organization by embedding operational excellence, continuous improvement, and lean principles across all functions. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President will lead hands‑on transformation efforts, working directly with leaders and teams to design, implement, and sustain scalable, efficient, and high‑performing processes that support Ballard’s growth strategy, quality objectives, and customer commitments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field
12+ years of progressive leadership experience in operational excellence, business transformation, or process improvement roles, ideally within a complex manufacturing or industrial environment.
Proven track record of leading large‑scale, enterprise‑wide transformation initiatives with measurable business impact.
Deep expertise in Lean, Continuous Improvement, and related methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Kaizen)
Strong collaborator with the ability to influence senior leaders and engage teams at all levels.
Low ego, hands‑on, results‑oriented leader with a strong bias for action and sustained execution.

Nice To Haves

Relevant certifications (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) are an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of Ballard’s enterprise‑wide operational excellence strategy, aligned with corporate objectives and long‑term growth plans.
Develop and deploy the Ballard Production System and Core Processes elements of the overall organizational 3P framework.
Transform Ballard into a world‑class organization by embedding continuous improvement, lean thinking, and operational efficiency across manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, and corporate functions.
Establish a consistent, standardized approach to business process optimization across the enterprise.
Identify, design, and implement end‑to‑end business process improvements that enhance efficiency, quality, cost, safety, and delivery performance.
Drive cross‑functional process harmonization and simplification to reduce complexity and increase scalability.
Utilize data, metrics, and best‑practice methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) to diagnose issues and drive measurable improvements.
Actively lead and facilitate hands‑on transformation initiatives across the organization, partnering closely with functional leaders and frontline teams.
Serve as a coach and change leader, enabling teams to adopt new ways of working and sustain improvements over time.
Lead and participate directly in value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Kaizen events, and other continuous improvement activities.
Facilitate structured kaizen workshop activities, including externally supported events from the Shingijutsu Group.
Design and deploy enterprise‑level lean and continuous improvement training programs tailored to different leadership and employee levels.
Build internal capability by developing operational excellence leaders, practitioners, and change agents throughout the organization.
Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement aligned with Ballard’s values.
Establish governance structures, performance metrics, and management routines to monitor progress and ensure sustainability of improvements.
Ensure continuous improvement initiatives deliver tangible, measurable business results and long‑term value.
Provide regular updates and insights to the COO and executive leadership team on progress, risks, and opportunities.
Serve as a key member of the operations leadership team, collaborating closely with manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, quality, finance, and People & Culture leaders.
Influence without authority across functions and geographies to drive alignment and execution.
Champion change management and employee engagement throughout all transformation efforts.