Operational Excellence Specialist (Lean Six Sigma)

JOB PURPOSEThe Operational Excellence Specialist will be embedded within the Operations Excellence function to review, record, challenge, and collaboratively improve end-to-end operational processes. The role will use Lean Six Sigma methods to reduce waste and variation, simplify ways of working, improve staff experience on and off operational systems, strengthen internal processes, enhance member experience and reduce costs to serve.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES1)Process discovery and documentationReview end-to-end operational processes through observation, stakeholder interviews, data analysis and structured workshops.Document current-state processes, hand-offs, controls, pain points, failure demand, rework and dependencies using clear process maps and supporting records.Maintain an accessible and controlled repository of approved process maps, standard operating procedures and improvement actions.2)challenge and redesignConstructively challenge existing practices, assumptions and control points while preserving a collaborative, evidence-led approach.Identify bottlenecks, duplication, non-value-adding activity, process variation and opportunities for simplification, standardization, digitization or automation.Design practical future-state processes with clear roles, decision points, controls, service standards and escalation routes.Assess process characteristics and improvement opportunities to determine whether the most appropriate intervention is process redesign, workflow automation, robotic process automation (RPA), AI-enabled decision support, or a combination of these approaches.Develop clear use-case briefs that capture process trigger, input quality, rule stability, exception volume, decision complexity, data availability, control requirements and expected business benefit to support prioritisation between RPA and AI opportunities.3)Lean Six Sigma deliveryApply DMAIC, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Pareto analysis, cause-and-effect analysis, control plans and other relevant Lean Six Sigma tools.Lead or support focused improvement projects, Kaizen events and problem-solving workshops from definition through implementation and control.Help business units translate identified issues into measurable improvement charters, actions, owners and timelines.4)Experience and service improvementAssess processes from employee, system-user and member perspectives, including effort, ease of use, turnaround time, accuracy and quality of interactions.Partner with frontline teams to identify system and non-system friction and convert feedback into actionable process improvements.Ensure proposed improvements support consistent, timely and high-quality member experience.5)Performance and benefits trackingDefine baseline measures and track operational benefits such as cycle-time reduction, productivity, quality, rework, staff effort, member outcomes and cost to serve.Prepare concise dashboards, progress updates and benefits-realization reports for Operations leadership.Establish control measures and review routines to sustain improvements and prevent regression.Work in close collaboration with Operations Data Analytics to define baselines, validate data sources and quantify value captures from process improvements, including efficiency gains, process simplification, productivity uplift, quality improvement and reduced manual effort.6)Collaboration and change adoptionWork closely with Operations, Technology, Quality, Customer Service, Finance and other enabling functions to develop and implement improvements.Facilitate stakeholder workshops, clearly communicate findings and build shared ownership of agreed actions.Support process owners with implementation, training, adoption monitoring and post-implementation reviews.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCEEducationBachelor's degree in business, Engineering, Operations Management, Healthcare Management or a related discipline.CertificationLean Six Sigma Green Belt certification is mandatory. Black Belt certification or active progression toward Black Belt is an advantage.Experience5+ years of relevant experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, business process improvement, quality improvement, process re-engineering or operations consulting.Preferred sector exposureExperience in healthcare, health insurance, third-party administration, or another transaction-intensive service environment is preferred.Evidence of deliveryDemonstrated involvement in improvement initiatives that produced measurable gains in efficiency, quality, service, user experience, or cost.KEY DELIVERABLES Current-state and future state process maps with documented pain points, risks and controls.Improvement charters, root-cause analyses and implementation plans.Updated standard operating procedures and process documentation.Quantified benefits and post-implementation control plans.Value-capture summaries co-developed with Operations Data Analytics, showing baseline, improvement impact, efficiency release, simplification benefits and sustainability measures.Periodic improvement portfolio updates for Operations leadership.A pipeline of prioritised efficiency, staff-experience, member-experience and cost-to-serve opportunities.Documented automation and AI use-case assessments, including recommendation on whether each opportunity is suitable for RPA, AI, system enhancement, process redesign or manual control improvement.KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS Working knowledge of Lean principles and the DMAIC improvement cycle.Process mapping, value stream mapping and workflow analysis.Root cause analysis and structured problem solving.Operational data analysis, baseline measurement and benefits tracking.Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; familiarity with process-mapping tools is expected.Working knowledge of automation, workflow, RPA, AI-enabled use cases and process-mining concepts, including the ability to distinguish rule-based automation opportunities from use cases requiring prediction, classification, summarisation or decision support.Ability to prepare clear business cases, recommendations and executive updates.BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIESAnalytical and curious, with the confidence to challenge constructively.Collaborative and able to build trust with frontline teams, subject-matter experts and leaders.Strong facilitation, communication and stakeholder-management skills.Practical, action-oriented and able to convert analysis into implementable change.Organised and detail-focused, with disciplined follow-through on actions and benefits.Adaptable and comfortable working across multiple operational priorities.MEASURES OF SUCCESS Delivery of agreed improvement projects within approved scope and timelines.Verified reduction in process cycle time, rework, defects, manual effort or cost to serve.Improvement in staff user experience and adoption of redesigned processes.Improvement in relevant member-experience and service-quality indicators.Quality, completeness and currency of process documentation.Sustainability of implemented improvements through effective controls and business ownership.Quality of RPA versus AI use-case triage, evidenced by clear documentation, appropriate technology recommendation, business-owner alignment and measurable benefit potential.COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS The job holder will work across Operations and partner with Technology, Quality, Customer Service, Finance, People & Organization and other enabling functions. The role requires regular engagement with process owners, frontline colleagues, subject-matter experts and leadership to ensure that improvements are evidence-based, jointly owned, and sustainably implemented.OPERATING ENVIRONMENT The role is primarily office-based and may require observation of operational activities across relevant teams or locations. Working arrangements and hours will be governed by company policy and applicable UAE requirements.