[Remote] Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Trans Ova Genetics is a leader in reproductive technologies for cattle breeders, seeking a Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence to enhance their operational capabilities. This role involves designing and implementing a global operating model for IVF production, driving process improvements, and ensuring operational excellence across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the enterprise operational excellence strategy aligned with Trans Ova’s long-term growth and industrialization objectives
• Design and implement the global operating model for bovine IVF production across all laboratories and field operations
• Establish governance structures that ensure clear decision rights, accountability, and cross-functional alignment between Operations, Scientific leadership, R&D, and Commercial teams
• Lead enterprise initiatives focused on scalability, throughput improvement, and reduction of operational variability
• Establish end-to-end ownership of critical production processes, including ovum pickup, IVF laboratory procedures, embryo development, embryo transfer, cryopreservation, and logistics
• Define and enforce global standard operating procedures with measurable tolerance bands and process capability targets
• Eliminate unnecessary variation across sites by replacing localized practices with standardized, enterprise processes
• Ensure that improvements and best practices are systematically deployed across all Trans Ova locations
• Implement enterprise-wide statistical process control systems to monitor performance, detect process drift, and prevent variability before it impacts production outcomes
• Develop leading indicators and early-warning dashboards that allow leadership to identify and correct deviations in real time
• Define and track key operational performance metrics such as process capability, yield, throughput, cycle time, and first-pass success rates
• Lead structured root-cause analysis and corrective action programs that eliminate recurring process failures
• Partner with Operations, R&D, and Digital teams to design, test, and implement automation technologies that improve consistency, reduce labor intensity, and increase production capacity
• Lead the evaluation and integration of robotics, imaging systems, and digital workflows into IVF laboratory operations
• Ensure automation initiatives are tightly integrated with process architecture and operational performance metrics
• Translate biological processes into scalable, technology-enabled production systems
• Drive the application of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve process control, anomaly detection, predictive monitoring, and production optimization
• Partner with digital and data science teams to develop machine learning tools that enhance embryo grading consistency, production forecasting, and operational decision-making
• Establish the data infrastructure required to enable real-time monitoring of production performance across all sites
• Ensure that data and analytics become a core capability supporting Trans Ova’s operational leadership
• Embed Lean and Six Sigma methodologies throughout the organization to systematically improve productivity, reduce cost, and eliminate waste
• Lead enterprise continuous improvement programs focused on reducing variability and increasing throughput
• Develop and mentor Green Belt and Black Belt leaders across the organization to support operational improvement initiatives
• Prioritize improvement initiatives based on measurable business impact and strategic importance
• Ensure quality discipline and process compliance are built directly into production workflows rather than treated as separate control functions
• Maintain enterprise standards for deviation management, corrective and preventive actions, and performance monitoring
• Align quality systems with operational performance goals to ensure consistent outcomes for clients and partners
• Protect Trans Ova’s reputation for reliability, performance, and scientific excellence
• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Technical and Quality Control teams, ensuring alignment with Trans Ova’s operational excellence strategy and global operating model for IVF production
• Ensure that technical expertise, laboratory standards, and quality control disciplines are translated into scalable systems, processes, and training that support consistent outcomes across all locations
• Establish clear accountability for technical standards, method validation, quality monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives across laboratories and field operations
• Foster strong collaboration between Technical, Operations, R&D, and Digital teams to ensure that scientific knowledge is effectively integrated into industrialized production systems and ongoing process improvement
• Build and lead a high-performing operational excellence organization capable of driving enterprise transformation
• Develop internal talent in process engineering, statistical analysis, automation, and continuous improvement disciplines
• Promote a culture where operational discipline, process ownership, and data-driven decision-making are core expectations
• Reinforce the principle that excellence is achieved through systems and processes rather than individual heroics

Skills

• Bachelor's degree required in Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations Management, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or other highly regulated production environments
• Demonstrated success designing and scaling complex production systems across multiple sites
• Deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, statistical process control, process capability analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologies
• Proven ability to lead large-scale operational transformation initiatives that significantly improve productivity, reliability, and throughput
• Experience implementing automation technologies and digital production systems in laboratory or manufacturing environments
• Experience leveraging artificial intelligence or advanced analytics to improve operational performance and decision-making
• Strong executive leadership capabilities with demonstrated success influencing cross-functional teams and driving organizational change
• Advanced degree preferred
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification preferred

Company Overview