gategroup
Head of Dept, NA - Operational Excellence & Standardization
gategroup, Reston, Virginia, United States, 22090
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Reston, VA, USAtime type:
Full timeposted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition id:
R0099199We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better.The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America is a key leadership role responsible for implementing and maintaining a culture of operational excellence across all business units within the North America region. The primary objective of this position is to execute the group’s operational excellence and standardization strategy, including technology at the regional level, ensuring alignment with the overall business strategy, technology roadmap, and global standards.
This role reports to the COO of gategroup NA and ensures that North America meets or exceeds operational excellence objectives set by the organization. The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America will drive continuous improvement, standardization, and sustainable performance across all operational units in the region.**Benefits***Paid time off**401k, with company match**Company sponsored life insurance**Medical, dental, vision plans**Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance**Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans**Employee Assistance Program**Commuter benefits**Employee Discounts***Main Duties and Responsibilities:**
• Develop and execute the North America regional operational excellence strategy by aligning regional goals with overall business and global operational excellence and standardization objectives.
• Manage regional operational excellence budgets and resources efficiently to support strategic priorities.
• Lead and implement process improvement initiatives within the region to optimize operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and profitability.
• Deploy global operational standards throughout North America and ensure consistent adherence across all sites.
• Lead regional change management and transformation initiatives to drive sustainable operational improvements, including technology and new business models.
• Train, coach, and support unit leadership teams on an ongoing basis (annual recurring training plan), in adopting operational excellence principles and best practices supported by regional and global SMEs, delivering sustainable results with "train the trainer" program. Ensure a follow-up mechanism is in place to ensure continuous adherence to global standards, processes, and systems.
• Communicate regional operational excellence performance, progress, and impact to senior North America leadership and global stakeholders.
• Identify and drive opportunities for productivity improvement, standardization, stabilization, and growth across all regional operations.
• Implement and maintain organizational standards and staffing structures in line with global guidelines, including management layers, span of control, and standard operating procedures.
• Serve as a regional expert in lean and continuous improvement, ensuring all North American operational units are applying appropriate lean tools (e.g., value stream mapping, standard work, variance reduction) to maximize throughput while reducing lead times and waste. Provide functional guidance to regional and unit CI managers.
• Achieve regional operational objectives by ensuring adherence to standardized methods and procedures; measuring results against regional and global benchmarks; and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Build and support an operational audit process and schedules annually.
• Participate in defining regional operational performance targets and support the development of annual budgets, growth plan for all North American operational units.
• Lead training and capability-building programs to embed standardized processes across teams.
• Partner with IT and digital teams to implement tools that support process automation, performance monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.
• Champion innovation projects in production, logistics, and service delivery to enhance efficiency and customer experience.
• Build, mentor, and lead the Operational Excellence and Standardization team, fostering a culture that embodies Gategroup’s core values.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and proactive risk management.
• Ad hoc projects to drive Continuous Improvement.
**Qualifications**
**Education:**
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Work Experience:
• 12+ years of progressive experience in operations, process improvement, or consulting, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence frameworks (Black Belt certification a plus).
• Strong track record of driving large-scale process standardization and transformation initiatives.
• Experience in aviation, airline catering, foodservice, or logistics preferred.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
**Competencies:**
• Strategic mindset with operational execution capability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to influence and drive change across diverse geographies.
• Resilient and adaptable leader with a continuous improvement mindset.
**Language / Communication Skills:**
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, both verbally and in writing. #J-18808-Ljbffr
- To help protect web applications and infrastructure from security attacks.**3. Google Analytics:*** **\_\_utma Cookie**: A persistent cookie that remains on a computer, unless it expires or the cookie cache is cleared. It tracks visitors. Metrics associated with the Google \_\_utma cookie include: first visit (unique visit), last visit (returning visit). The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics.* **\_\_utmb Cookie*** **\_\_utmc Cookie**: This cookie is used to determine the end of browser sessions. Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the \_\_utmb cookie to determine whether the user was in a new session/visit.* **\_\_utmz Cookie**: This cookie stores the traffic source or campaign that explains how the user reached the site. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics.* **\_\_utmv Cookie**: This is a persistent cookie. It is used for segmentation, data experimentation and operates with the \_\_utmz cookie to improve cookie targeting capabilities.Please also see section Additional Information about Google Analytics# **Additional Information about Google Analytics**This Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") in the US.Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating the use of the Website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf.Google does not associate IP addresses with any other data held by Google..Lang: This cookie is used to remember a user's language setting and to display the AWLI Button in the appropriate language. The cookie expires at the end of the session.Bcookie: This cookie to uniquely identify devices accessing LinkedIn to detect fraud and abuse on the platform. The cookie expires after two years. Lidc: This cookie is used to optimize data center selection and expires after 24 hours.Head of Dept, NA - Operational Excellence & Standardization page is loaded## Head of Dept, NA - Operational Excellence & Standardizationlocations:
Reston, VA, USAtime type:
Full timeposted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition id:
R0099199We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better.The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America is a key leadership role responsible for implementing and maintaining a culture of operational excellence across all business units within the North America region. The primary objective of this position is to execute the group’s operational excellence and standardization strategy, including technology at the regional level, ensuring alignment with the overall business strategy, technology roadmap, and global standards.
This role reports to the COO of gategroup NA and ensures that North America meets or exceeds operational excellence objectives set by the organization. The Head of Operational Excellence and Standardization, North America will drive continuous improvement, standardization, and sustainable performance across all operational units in the region.**Benefits***Paid time off**401k, with company match**Company sponsored life insurance**Medical, dental, vision plans**Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance**Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans**Employee Assistance Program**Commuter benefits**Employee Discounts***Main Duties and Responsibilities:**
• Develop and execute the North America regional operational excellence strategy by aligning regional goals with overall business and global operational excellence and standardization objectives.
• Manage regional operational excellence budgets and resources efficiently to support strategic priorities.
• Lead and implement process improvement initiatives within the region to optimize operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and profitability.
• Deploy global operational standards throughout North America and ensure consistent adherence across all sites.
• Lead regional change management and transformation initiatives to drive sustainable operational improvements, including technology and new business models.
• Train, coach, and support unit leadership teams on an ongoing basis (annual recurring training plan), in adopting operational excellence principles and best practices supported by regional and global SMEs, delivering sustainable results with "train the trainer" program. Ensure a follow-up mechanism is in place to ensure continuous adherence to global standards, processes, and systems.
• Communicate regional operational excellence performance, progress, and impact to senior North America leadership and global stakeholders.
• Identify and drive opportunities for productivity improvement, standardization, stabilization, and growth across all regional operations.
• Implement and maintain organizational standards and staffing structures in line with global guidelines, including management layers, span of control, and standard operating procedures.
• Serve as a regional expert in lean and continuous improvement, ensuring all North American operational units are applying appropriate lean tools (e.g., value stream mapping, standard work, variance reduction) to maximize throughput while reducing lead times and waste. Provide functional guidance to regional and unit CI managers.
• Achieve regional operational objectives by ensuring adherence to standardized methods and procedures; measuring results against regional and global benchmarks; and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Build and support an operational audit process and schedules annually.
• Participate in defining regional operational performance targets and support the development of annual budgets, growth plan for all North American operational units.
• Lead training and capability-building programs to embed standardized processes across teams.
• Partner with IT and digital teams to implement tools that support process automation, performance monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.
• Champion innovation projects in production, logistics, and service delivery to enhance efficiency and customer experience.
• Build, mentor, and lead the Operational Excellence and Standardization team, fostering a culture that embodies Gategroup’s core values.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and proactive risk management.
• Ad hoc projects to drive Continuous Improvement.
**Qualifications**
**Education:**
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Work Experience:
• 12+ years of progressive experience in operations, process improvement, or consulting, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence frameworks (Black Belt certification a plus).
• Strong track record of driving large-scale process standardization and transformation initiatives.
• Experience in aviation, airline catering, foodservice, or logistics preferred.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
**Competencies:**
• Strategic mindset with operational execution capability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to influence and drive change across diverse geographies.
• Resilient and adaptable leader with a continuous improvement mindset.
**Language / Communication Skills:**
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers, both verbally and in writing. #J-18808-Ljbffr