Operational Excellence Manager

TUKR is a rapidly expanding renewable commodities trader with a hyper-focus on direct origination of bio-feedstock material, primarily Used Cooking Oil (UCO) for biofuel production. We develop complex supply chains within challenging locations to source sustainable and renewable materials for refinement into biofuel. We bulk, store, blend, and deliver these volumes to our end clients with attentive care to quality and sustainability compliance.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and driven Operational Excellence Manager to strengthen and continuously improve our operations.

The role is responsible for establishing operational standards, driving continuous improvement, strengthening operational controls, and providing management with data-driven insights across our network of origins/warehouses.

You will work cross-functionally with Supply & Commercial, Quality Control, Trading Operations, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities, solve operational challenges, and ensure that improvement initiatives are effectively implemented and sustained.

This position will lead a small team and will be expected to set direction, establish frameworks, challenge existing practices, and drive execution through the team and relevant stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead the continuous improvement agenda across UCO collection, origin, and warehouse operations.
• Identify operational inefficiencies, risks, cost opportunities, and process gaps through data, field observations, audits, and stakeholder feedback.
• Lead structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis for key operational issues.
• Develop and prioritize improvement initiatives based on business impact, feasibility, risk, and strategic priorities.
• Lead improvement projects from concept and business case through implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and standardized ways of working across the organization.

2. UCO Supply & Operational Governance

• Establish and continuously improve the audit and control framework for origins and warehouses.
• Set audit standards, scope, methodology, and priorities based on operational risks and business requirements.
• Oversee the execution of periodic origin and warehouse audits through the team.
• Review audit findings, identify systemic issues and recurring risks, and ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions are established.
• Monitor the progress and effectiveness of corrective actions and escalate significant risks or recurring issues to management.
• Provide management with an overall view of operational compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities across the UCO supply network.

3. Data Analytics, Performance Management & Business Insights

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of management dashboards and performance reporting.
• Translate operational data into meaningful insights, trends, and recommendations for management.
• Use data to identify performance gaps, operational risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Establish a performance management rhythm to ensure that key findings are translated into concrete actions.

4. Safety, Health, & Environment (SHE) Governance

• Establish and oversee the SHE management framework for origins and warehouses.
• Set expectations and standards for operational safety and risk management.
• Ensure that safety assessments, inspections, and follow-up activities are effectively executed through the team and relevant stakeholders.
• Review significant safety risks, incidents, and recurring issues and drive appropriate corrective actions.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ownership across operational teams.
• Ensure that safety considerations are embedded into operational processes and continuous improvement initiatives.

5. Quality Management & QC Governance

• Act as a matrix manager for the QC team, while recognizing that the team maintains its primary reporting line to the Trading Operations Department.
• Ensure alignment between QC activities, operational requirements, quality standards, and business objectives.
• Review quality performance, recurring issues, and significant quality deviations and drive cross-functional corrective actions.
• Work with Trading Operations, QC, Supply, and Operations to address root causes rather than only resolving individual quality incidents.
• Support the development and continuous improvement of quality standards, controls, and processes across the UCO supply chain.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Quality Management , or a related discipline.
• Min. 6 years of relevant experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, supply chain, operations, warehouse management, quality, audit, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in leading improvement initiatives or operational transformation , preferably involving multiple functions or locations.
• Strong understanding of process improvement, operational governance, KPI management, and performance management .
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to move from data and observations to clear business decisions and actions.
• Experience developing or managing KPI frameworks, dashboards, and management reporting . Strong Excel skills and familiarity with Power BI or similar tools are highly desirable.
• Experience in audit, quality management, operational risk, or compliance is preferred.
• Good understanding of warehouse operations, inventory controls, supply chain processes, and operational risk management .
• Good knowledge of Safety, Health, and Environment principles .
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, PDCA , or other continuous improvement methodologies is highly desirable.
• Strong people leadership and stakeholder management skills , with the ability to influence teams and stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
• Experience working in a matrix organization and managing cross-functional stakeholders is an advantage.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both operational teams and senior management.
• Strategic yet hands-on mindset
  • able to see the bigger picture while understanding operational realities at origin and warehouse level.
• Strong ownership, initiative, and ability to turn analysis into decisions and decisions into measurable results .
• Willingness to travel to origins/warehouses and supplier locations as required.
• Professional proficiency in English .

Preferred Background

Experience in one or more of the following industries would be an advantage:

• Biofuels / renewable energy
• Used Cooking Oil (UCO) or waste collection
• Commodity/specialty Chemicals
• Commodity trading
• Waste management / recycling
• Logistics and warehouse operations
• Manufacturing or other process-driven industries