The Operations Excellence Manager/Sr. Manager will have the responsibility of: Defining, designing, implementing, and refining the lean based Operational Excellence strategy & system for the Asyad Ports & Freezones portfolio, covering all operating entities and corporate functions. Advising & coaching the APFZ Leadership team on lean transformation. Creating a system that will be the key enabler of financial & operational improvements within the operating business, and responsible with VP Ops, VP Commercial & Freezone Heads for delivery of significant positive improvements to financial performance. Developing & implementing a training strategy & program for APFZ people to instil lean skills into our organization. The Operations Excellence Manager/Sr. Manager should be seen as a people focused leader able to build APFZ people, not purely an expert individual. Leading the facilitation of Kaizen & other lean management events, while acting as a key trainer & mentor to all employees in this regard. This is a critical role with freedom, opportunity & responsibility to develop a new continuous improvement system and transform a young, developing organization.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Setting lean & continuous improvement strategy for APFZ
• Introduce global best practices and innovation across Asyad Ports.
• Ensure strong process ownership, governance, and change management mechanisms.
• Design & implementation of new Asyad Ports & Freezones Operational Excellence System
• Defining, & implement a new operational excellence strategy & system based on lean methodology for Asyad Ports & Freezones. Business objective is to deliver significant (multiple double-digit %) improvements in financial and operational performance. This is to be achieved through training our people in & executing on a clear, actionable continuous improvement methodology as part of a clear business system.
• Delivery of Financial & Operational Improvement Scheme
• The Operations Excellence Manager/Sr. Manager will be accountable together with functional leaders for delivery of financial improvement, not purely program activity.
• Lead strategic initiatives to elevate port competitiveness.
• Development of Lean Skills Across the Organisation
• Having developed the system, the leader must be able to implement this across a range of operating sites & corporate functions through an engaging training program. Development of our people is the foundation for program success.
• Lead initiatives that improve end-to-end value chain performance and ensure alignment between operations, commercial, maintenance, IT, and finance.
• Lean Leadership
• Recognised as the in-house expert, coach & guide on lean continuous improvement. The individual should have credibility as lean sensei for APFZ.
• Kaizen Leadership
• Personal lead the first, and most critical, kaizen events to improve the business.
• Drive continuous improvement across port operations, focusing on efficiency, turnaround time, and cost optimization.
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Work closely with APFZ leadership & units heads to integrate operational excellence initiatives seamlessly across all functions.
• Manage internal & external stakeholders at various levels, while building & maintaining strong working relationships with the same.
• Performance Monitoring
• Develop the Operational Excellence performance management approach establishing where necessary key performance indicators (KPIs) and operational metrics to track the effectiveness of implemented processes.
• Process Governance & Standardization
• Enforce standardized SOPs, operational frameworks, and best practices across all ports/assets.
• Ensure strong process ownership, governance, and change management mechanisms.
• Support and advise new process standardization for new business units.
• Support APFZ direction with technology & digital enhancement to assure lean management and process improvement.

Desired Candidate Profile

QUALIFICATION, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 8 years in an operational excellence leadership role.
• Demonstrable experience in creating & deploying a lean program in organisations from the ground up.
• Clear track record of positive, sizeable, financial impact.
• Experience in developing a new operations excellence program.
• Background in port operations, maritime operations or logistics preferred. Other industries will be considered where the candidate has clear experience of new program development & deployment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor s degree in Ports Management, shipping, engineering, or similar. A Master s degree is a plus.
• Certifications
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belts Certificate.
• Other Professional or In-house certifications in lean management are highly desirable.

Skills

• Lean leadership understanding & continuous improvement more broadly.
• Strong stakeholder management & interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead and facilitate teams, often across multiple working sites and within a change management environment.
• Excellent project management skills with a track record of successful project delivery.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Capable to develop and lead training across the business.

Language Proficiency

• Fluency in English is mandatory; proficiency in Arabic is considered a plus.

Adaptability

• Willingness to travel nationally across Oman and internationally.

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Internal CEO & COO. Leadership Team. All Departments.
• External Consultants. MTCIT. Customs. Shipping Agents.