Job Description Operational Excellence Lead

Function: Operational Excellence (OpEx)

Role: Operational Excellence Lead

Role Family: Operational Excellence

Role Purpose

Senior Operational Excellence practitioner responsible for driving the maturity and consistency of the Maersk Way of Working (TMW) while leading complex cross-functional business optimization and transformation initiatives across the Area. The role applies advanced Operational Excellence expertise to diagnose business challenges shape practical improvement approaches and deliver high-value outcomes in line with direction set by Area OpEx leadership.

Acts as a senior partner to business leaders and a lead practitioner within Operational Excellence taking on more complex higher-impact initiatives than the specialist role while ensuring solutions are scalable standardized sustainable and aligned to enterprise expectations. The role combines hands-on improvement leadership with strong facilitation coaching and cross-functional coordination to move initiatives from problem definition through implementation and value realization.

Role Scope and Impact

• Leads complex Operational Excellence and business optimization initiatives aligned to Area priorities and improvement opportunities.
• Provides senior expertise on TMW deployment process transformation operating model redesign and cross-functional problem solving.
• Acts as an escalation point and lead practitioner for higher-complexity initiatives beyond the typical scope of the specialist role.
• Builds alignment across stakeholders to support effective diagnosis solution design adoption and delivery of sustainable outcomes.
• Guides Operational Excellence resources and supports delivery of digital-enabled and cross-functional transformation priorities.

Key Responsibilities / Critical Tasks

1. The Maersk Way

• Support Area-wide deployment and maturity of TMW ensuring alignment to standards methodologies and behaviours.
• Provide senior guidance on structured problem solving diagnostics and process improvement approaches including Lean Kaizen the TMW A3 problem-solving approach and root cause analysis.
• Act as a train-the-trainer resource for TMW tools and methodologies building practitioner capability and consistency of application across the Area.
• Apply these methods on more complex or ambiguous issues that require deeper analysis facilitation and stakeholder alignment.
• Act as a trusted advisor on complex operational and transformation issues while supporting sustainment of Operational Excellence practices.

2. Business Optimization & Implementation

• Lead complex business optimization initiatives aligned to Area priorities and measurable improvement opportunities.
• Take ownership for business framing design guidance implementation leadership and value realization on higher-complexity cross-functional transformation efforts.
• Drive end-to-end process and operating model optimization including simplification role clarity control effectiveness and scalability.
• Provide senior problem-solving support challenge and direction on initiatives requiring deeper expertise judgement and stakeholder management.
• Work closely with initiative owners and business stakeholders to translate problems into practical solutions and implementation actions.
• Partner with project and program management support to enable effective implementation governance and benefit realization.

3. Capability Building Guidance & Change Leadership

• Build Operational Excellence capability across the Area by setting expectations for methods quality and practical application.
• Coach practitioners initiative leads and business partners in problem solving facilitation initiative design and change execution.
• Serve as a train-the-trainer for TMW tools and methodologies including the TMW A3 problem-solving approach to strengthen capability and consistency across teams.
• Facilitate senior workshops and alignment forums to strengthen sponsorship ownership and adoption of major transformation efforts.

4. Digitalization Innovation & Analytics (Enablement via Partnership)

• Define and prioritize digitalization automation and analytics opportunities linked to business problems and transformation goals.
• Translate business needs into clear requirements and partner with Digitalization Automation and Data teams on roadmap and implementation decisions.
• Ensure digital-enabled improvements are scalable standardized and embedded into day-to-day operations.

Stakeholder Interfaces

• Area leadership and senior stakeholders across Operations CX SCM Finance Product and Technology.
• Operational Excellence specialists project and program management support and business initiative owners involved in transformation delivery.
• Digitalization Automation and Data teams responsible for solution realization and capability support.
• Cross-functional governance bodies transformation forums and decision-making groups used to align direction and implementation choices.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Business Engineering Supply Chain Operations Logistics or related discipline; advanced qualifications are advantageous.
• Significant experience in operational excellence continuous improvement business transformation or related operational environments.
• Strong track record in leading complex cross-functional initiatives building capability and delivering measurable business impact.
• Deep practical knowledge of Lean Six Sigma the TMW A3 problem-solving approach Kaizen DMAIC root cause analysis and value stream mapping with experience influencing senior stakeholders in matrix environments.

Capabilities / Core Competencies

• Advanced expertise in TMW Operational Excellence methods end-to-end process optimization and delivery of complex transformation initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder influencing facilitation coaching and train-the-trainer capability in complex cross-functional environments.
• Ability to translate direction into practical execution and sustainable business outcomes.
• Strong coaching capability with focus on standardization consistency and uplift of Operational Excellence practice.

Performance Measures

• Maturity and consistency of TMW deployment across the Area.
• Delivery of business optimization and transformation outcomes with measurable impact on efficiency quality and customer results.
• Scalability and sustainability of solutions delivered across teams and functions.
• Effectiveness of stakeholder alignment initiative execution and capability uplift across the Area.

Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race colour gender sex age religion creed national origin ancestry citizenship marital status sexual orientation physical or mental disability medical condition pregnancy or parental leave veteran status gender identity genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.

We are happy to support your need for any adjustments during the application and hiring process. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website apply for a position or to perform a job please contact us by emailing .