The Senior Director of Operational Excellence is a senior strategic operations leadership role responsible for driving large-scale organizational transformation across Manheim's Inventory Solutions business. This leader will partner with senior leaders across Operations, Product, Finance, Sales, Technology, and HR to define actionable plans, identify growth opportunities, and translate enterprise vision into executed outcomes. This role supports all functions of an auction along with shared services and plays a critical role in helping us chart the path forward for how we adopt AI across the business.
PRIMARY DUTIES/KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage highly complex, multi-year, strategic processes to roll out transformational initiatives out to operating locations with efforts spanning multiple Manheim functional departments.
- Provide senior leadership that fully aligns with operational senior leadership, operational support teams and other departments to meet strategic objectives.
- Manage and direct a large team.
- Work with cross‑functional stakeholders at varying levels of management to identify, design and implement operational improvements and help drive performance, decrease complexity, and increase effectiveness.
- Determine, implement, track, and analyze business metrics and KPIs associated with the business and key initiatives.
- Lead the team to develop actionable insights, exercise sound business judgment, and engage with management to focus and improve business operations.
- Effectively work across the matrix to shepherd the mindset and cultural shift needed to create new and innovative solutions.
- Set high standards of performance for self and others; self‑impose standards of excellence rather than have them imposed.
- Partner with change management leadership to ensure successful implementation.
- Partner with Design, Product and IT leadership to align on projects impacting Operations.
- Partner with Operations Support SMEs and auctions in identification of continuous improvement design opportunities.
- Understand and relentlessly pursue the continuous improvement of the auction experience.
- Design a strategy that consistently identifies new ways to create value for our auction business and prioritize opportunities to ensure focus on the most critical work.
- Continually socialize and win support for key stakeholders, including the Executive Leadership Team, Product Executives, Sales Executives and Operations Executives.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Provide thought leadership and engage with other senior leaders in addressing complex business issues.
- Lead by building trust to influence change and develop win‑win strategies that deliver results for our clients and our business.
- Operate in an ambiguous environment with considerable latitude to formalize connective tissue across our business.
- Demonstrated track record of success in situations with little or no precedent requiring new and original concepts.
- Demonstrated analytical ability in understanding data and making information relevant and actionable across the organization.
- Assess capabilities, gaps, and build plans for addressing departmental and organizational needs.
- Be a good listener with outstanding interpersonal qualities and a natural, effective consultative style.
- Have advanced communication skills as a successful storyteller in our business that moves hearts and minds to action.
- Have subject‑matter experience in organizational and process design.
- Build support and implement initiatives across organizational boundaries, specifically in a matrixed environment.
- Handle complaints, settle disputes, and resolve conflicts by negotiation.
- Consistently demonstrate building high‑performing teams with a servant leadership approach.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 12 years' experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 10 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 7 years' experience; or 16 years' experience in a related field.
- 7+ years' experience in a management or leadership role.
- Track record leading large‑scale business transformation in matrixed organizations.
- Proven ability to translate strategy into execution with measurable results.
PREFERRED
- Bachelor's degree
- Master's Degree in Business Administration
TRAVEL
25–50%
COMPENSATION
Base salary in the range of $179,600.00 – $299,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. The position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
BENEFITS
The company offers eligible employees flexible vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.
EOE, including disability/vets.
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