Operational Excellence Specialist

The opportunity

Our GTA-based manufacturing client is hiring an Operational Excellence Specialist. In this role, you will own the end-to-end performance management system across Operations and Commercial functions, ensuring KPI integrity, performance visibility, rigorous root-cause analysis, and sustained corrective action.

This role is ideal for someone who understands how work gets done today and enjoys redesigning it through data, automation, and AI. Working across Operations, Commercial, Business Intelligence, and leadership, you'll help build the systems, processes, and insights that improve decision-making and enable more scalable ways of working.

This job posting is for an existing full-time vacancy.

Why this role?

Shape transformation. This is an opportunity to help redefine how the business operates. You will work at the intersection of operations, data, and AI, helping move the organization from today's ways of working toward more intelligent, automated, and scalable processes. Your work will directly influence productivity, decision-making, and operational performance across manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial teams.

Own critical business systems. You will operate at the center of the business, taking ownership of KPI governance, data integrity, and performance visibility. You will establish the reporting structures, governance, and validation processes leaders rely on to make confident business decisions while enabling future automation and AI-enabled performance management.

Build and implement solutions. This is more than an analytical role. Success comes from implementing change, not simply identifying opportunities for improvement. You will identify opportunities, solve root causes, and implement practical improvements using automation, AI, and process redesign. You will see the direct impact of your work through measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.

You will:

• Own data integrity. You will act as the single point of accountability for operational KPI data integrity across Operations and Commercial teams. You will validate data from multiple systems and functional owners before executive review, identify recurring data quality issues and structural gaps, and establish the governance, validation controls, and standard work that ensure leadership decisions are based on trusted information.
• Lead BI partnership. You will serve as the business owner for KPI logic and reporting requirements. You will translate operational needs into clear BI and dashboard specifications, validate calculations, data sources, and definitions before automation, and ensure reporting drives action, accountability, and decision-making.
• Drive inventory analysis. You will analyze inventory performance across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods. You will identify drivers of excess, obsolescence, shortages, and instability, translate insights into corrective actions and process improvements, and support S&OP governance by ensuring planning data is decision-ready and aligned to KPI targets.
• Analyze, redesign, and improve operations. You will immerse yourself in end-to-end operational, supply chain, and manufacturing processes to understand how work actually gets done today. You will identify inefficiencies, manual work, bottlenecks, and performance gaps, translate findings into measurable business cases, and partner with stakeholders to redesign processes that improve productivity, reduce cycle times, and create lasting operational improvements.
• Design and implement AI-enabled solutions. You will partner with operational and technical teams to translate business challenges into practical automation and AI solutions. Using Microsoft Power Platform and Copilot Studio, you will design and implement workflows, automations, and agent-based solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making, and create scalable ways of working across the business.

You bring:

• The educational foundation. You have a bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• The operations expertise. You have several years of experience improving operational performance within manufacturing, supply chain, or operations environments, including operational excellence, continuous improvement, manufacturing performance management, supply chain analytics, S&OP support, or operations analytics. You know how to break down complex processes, identify root causes, and implement practical improvements that deliver measurable business results.
• The data and analytical skills. You are comfortable working with operational data, defining and validating KPIs, and turning information into actionable insights. You understand KPI governance, inventory management, supply chain flows, S&OP planning, and structured problem-solving methodologies such as root cause analysis and corrective actions. You have advanced Excel skills and experience with business intelligence tools such as Power BI, Qlik, or Tableau.
• The automation mindset. You have hands-on exposure to AI, automation, or low-code technologies and are interested in applying AI to solve business problems. Experience with platforms such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Power Apps, Python, RPA, or similar low-code/no-code platforms would be an asset, but most importantly, you think in terms of workflows, systems, and scalable solutions rather than manual processes.
• The builder mindset. You don't stop at identifying problems, you implement solutions. You are motivated by seeing ideas through to execution, measuring results, and continuously improving how work gets done.
• The communication skills. You build strong relationships across all levels of the organization, from shop floor teams to business leaders and technical specialists. You can communicate fluently between operational teams and technical stakeholders, simplify complex ideas, facilitate productive conversations, and help drive adoption of new processes and technologies.
• Bonus points if you bring: Experience in complex manufacturing environments, inventory or materials analysis, Lean or Six Sigma, project management methodologies, ERP/MRP/MES platforms, AI-enabled workflows, or AI and automation certifications.

Compensation: $77,000 to $82,000

Apply now.

We encourage applications from candidates who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, particularly individuals from Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with lived experience. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, we encourage you to apply to express your interest. 

What you can expect from the interview process:

• A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
• A virtual interview with the Hiring Manager. You will explore how your experience aligns with the needs of the team and organization.
• A final in-person interview with the Hiring Manager, Operations Excellence Manager, a Subject Matter Expert, and an HR Specialist to learn more about the role and the vision for the team.

Should you require accommodation in any aspect of the selection process, please contact us at View email address on talentminded74.applytojob.com, and we will be happy to help.

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