Director, Operational Excellence & Process Engineering

The salary range for this position is $110,000 to $140,000. Final compensation will be determined based on relevant skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, eligible employees may be entitled to other elements of total compensation, which may include group benefits, employer RRSP contributions, and discretionary bonus or incentive programs, where applicable to the role. We are committed to offering competitive compensation and comply with all applicable pay transparency legislation. Further details regarding our total rewards program will be shared by the Talent Acquisition team during the hiring process. Canadian work experience is not a requirement for this role. Please note that artificial intelligence–based tools may be used at certain stages of the recruitment and applicant screening process.

At Compass Group Canada, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to delivering exceptional food and support services while continuously improving the experience for our clients, patients, residents, guests, and associates.

We're seeking a strategic and results-driven Director, Operational Excellence & Process Engineering to lead operational excellence initiatives across our CHASE (Corrections, Healthcare and Senior Living and ESS) sectors. This role will be responsible for driving continuous improvement, standardization, workforce productivity, and data-driven decision-making across a diverse portfolio of operational environments.

The successful candidate will partner closely with operational leaders to optimize workflows, improve service reliability, enhance labor productivity, and develop scalable systems that support sustainable business performance.

Now, if you were to come on board as our Director, Operational Excellence & Process Engineering, we'd ask you to do the following for us:

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead enterprise-wide operational improvement initiatives across CHASE sectors.
• Identify opportunities to enhance productivity, reduce waste, and improve service delivery.
• Develop and implement standardized operating procedures and best practices across multiple sites.
• Facilitate process mapping, workflow redesign, and value stream analysis initiatives.

Workforce Productivity & Capacity Planning

• Analyze labor utilization, staffing models, and workload distribution.
• Align staffing levels with operational demand and service requirements.
• Identify bottlenecks, throughput constraints, and opportunities for workflow optimization.
• Support future-state operational planning and scalable growth initiatives.

Analytics & Performance Management

• Develop and maintain KPI dashboards and performance reporting tools.
• Establish leading indicators that enable proactive operational management.
• Translate operational data into actionable business insights and recommendations.
• Monitor performance trends and support leaders in achieving improvement targets.

Change Management & Leader Standard Work

• Support implementation and sustainment of operational improvements.
• Establish consistent management practices and accountability systems.
• Develop daily, weekly, and monthly operating rhythms focused on safety, quality, service, productivity, and associate engagement.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across all levels of the organization.

Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with frontline operators, regional leaders, and support functions.
• Influence cross-functional teams through data, insights, and business cases.
• Provide coaching and guidance to operational teams on process improvement methodologies.
• Support operational readiness, business scaling, and transformation initiatives.

Areas of Impact

This role supports operational excellence initiatives across:

• Patient, Resident, and Inmate Food Services
• Environmental Services and Housekeeping
• Portering and Patient Transportation
• Canteen Warehouse and Logistics Operations
• Remote Site Services
• Cross-functional operational workflows and service delivery models

Think you have what it takes to be our Director, Operational Excellence & Process Engineering? We're committed to hiring the best talent for the role. Here's how we'll know you'll be successful:

Education & Experience

• Professional Engineer designation preferred
• Degree in Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, Operations Management, Business, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Equivalent experience in complex, labor-intensive operational environments will be considered.
• 8-10 years of progressive experience in process engineering, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or related leadership roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering, operational excellence, or process improvement teams.
• Experience managing large-scale, cross-functional projects and initiatives.
• Experience developing and managing significant capital improvement budgets.

Technical Expertise

• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping, OEE, and related continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with process design, workflow optimization, workforce productivity, and capacity planning.
• Strong analytical and data visualization skills with the ability to develop meaningful performance metrics and dashboards.
• Experience applying operational analytics to support strategic business decisions.

Leadership Competencies

• Proven ability to influence and lead change in complex organizational environments.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent presentation, facilitation, and communication abilities.
• Strategic thinker with exceptional problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and business acumen.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 50% across Canada.

Why Join Compass Group Canada?

You'll have the opportunity to influence large-scale operational transformation across diverse service environments while helping build sustainable, scalable, and high-performing operations. Your work will directly contribute to improving service outcomes, enhancing operational efficiency, and supporting the success of teams that deliver critical services to thousands of Canadians every day.