Operation Excellence Lead

At Zimmer Biomet, we believe in pushing the boundaries of innovation and driving our mission forward. As a global medical technology leader for nearly 100 years, a patient’s mobility is enhanced by a Zimmer Biomet product or technology every 8 seconds.

As a Zimmer Biomet team member, you will share in our commitment to providing mobility and renewed life to people around the world. To support our talent team, we focus on development opportunities, robust employee resource groups (ERGs), a flexible working environment, location specific competitive total rewards, wellness incentives and a culture of recognition and performance awards. We are committed to creating an environment where every team member feels included, respected, empowered and recognised.

The Operations Excellence Lead is a pivotal leadership role responsible for delivering strategic business imrpovements that reduce operating costs, drive organizational efficiency, and eliminate waste. Partnering closely with senior leadership, this role will lead Lean transformation efforts, capital optimization initiatives, and cost savings initiatives across the Irish manufacturing sites.

This position will champion a culture of continuous improvement, lead key Rapid CI activities across all shifts, and progress the sites toward World-Class & Shingo certification standards. The role requires a proven track record of leading through influence, delivering measurable results via Lean/ Six Sigma methodologies, and managing complex projects in a fast-paced multinational environment.

Reporting to the Manufacturing Director and collaborating closely with the Irish Senior Leadership Team, the Operations Excellence Lead will drive change, inspire accountability, and enable high-performance manufacturing operations.

• Lead the Operational Excellence strategic pillar in alignment with Zimmer Biomet's Ireland and global strategy. Embed a strong continuous improvement culture across all levels and shifts, empowering employees to drive change.
• Build & develop high-performing, outcome-driven teams through integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
• Design & execute strategies that strengthen performance across Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People.
• Identify & evaluate new methodologies enhancing operational capability.
• Manage cross-functional stakeholder relationships across all Zimmer Biomet sites/ shifts to ensure alignment and successful program execution.
• Advance site efficiency and performance improvement initiatives through Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen practices.
• Anticipate, redesign, and evolve manufacturing systems while maintaining regulatory compliance.
• Own and continuously improve operational budgets to deliver targeted cost reductions.
• Collaborate with PMO (project portfolio management office) and ensure full organizational alignment to annual goals.
• Develop future leaders by attracting, retaining, and mentoring top talent.
• Support and execute new product introductions, technology transfers, and line extensions aligned with business growth.
• Lead industry 4.0 adoption in partnership with the MES team.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly, succinctly and effectively.
• Proven problem-solving capabilities, essential for navigating operational, engineering and strategic challenges.
• Demonstrated success in leading teams to achieve business objectives, with a particular emphasis on developing and managing People Leaders.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate future needs & plan accordingly to ensure sustained success.
• In-depth understanding of relevant legal and regulatory requirements within the medical device industry.
• C…