European Operations Alignment Specialist in Daventry

The European Operations Alignment Specialist is a pivotal role within the CX division, responsible for driving the optimization and standardization of business processes across all European markets. The primary objective is to transition from fragmented, market-specific workflows toward a unified European operating model, targeting 80% process commonality. This role involves high-level process design, cross-functional stakeholder management, and the ability to balance global strategy with local market nuances. Additionally, the Specialist will work closely with the European Lead and will be required to deputize in leadership forums, representing the department’s interests at a senior level.

Responsibilities

• Process Discovery & Mapping: Lead the end-to-end collection and mapping of 'as-is' processes across Europe using standard notation (BPMN). Identify variances, redundancies, and 'gold standard' practices.
• Strategic Alignment (The 80/20 Rule): Drive the '80% Standard' initiative. Define core unified processes while establishing a governance framework to evaluate and approve the 20% local legal or regulatory deviations.
• Global & Regional Collaboration: Act as the primary bridge between Global teams and European Market Leads. Co-create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure European requirements are integrated into global strategies.
• Continuous Improvement: Utilize data-driven insights to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Propose and implement Lean-based optimizations to aligned workflows.
• Change Management & Impact Analysis: Conduct impact assessments for proposed changes. Support regional adoption by creating high-quality documentation, training toolkits, and communication strategies.
• Leadership Support: Deputize for the European Lead in key stakeholder meetings, ensuring project momentum is maintained in their absence.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Alignment Percentage: Progress toward the 80% process commonality target across defined workstreams.
• Efficiency Gains: Measurable reduction in process lead times or error rates following alignment.
• Stakeholder Buy-in: Successful sign-off of SOPs by Market Leads within agreed timelines.

Education & Certifications

• Required: Undergraduate University degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Language: Fluency in English (written and verbal). Proficiency in a second European language (e.g., German, French, Spanish, or Italian) is a significant advantage.
• Preferred: Certification in Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), Project Management (PMP/Prince2), or Change Management (Prosci).

Experience

• Process Design: 3–5 years of experience in creating, documenting, and implementing business processes from the ground up.
• Multi-Market Exposure: Proven experience working across diverse European markets, with a sophisticated understanding of managing cultural and operational differences.
• CX/Automotive Background: Experience within Customer Experience or the Automotive industry is highly desirable.

Skills

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to synthesize complex, disparate information into clear, actionable, and standardized workflows.
• Software Proficiency: Advanced skills in process mapping tools (e.g., MS Visio, Signavio, IBM Blueworks or Lucidchart) and collaboration platforms (MS Teams, SharePoint).
• Conflict Resolution & Resilience: Ability to navigate resistance to change and negotiate between competing regional interests to reach a consensus.
• Executive Presence: Confidence to present to and influence senior leadership during deputization.
• Precision: Exceptional attention to detail in documentation and a commitment to high-quality output.

Physical and Logistical Requirements

• Environment: Modern office/hybrid environment.
• Equipment: Proficiency with laptop/mobile workstations and digital collaboration tools.
• Travel: Occasional travel to European market locations may be required.