Senior Operational Excellence Manager
Chanel is hiring a Senior Operational Excellence Manager in Shanghai to lead continuous improvement across operations.
Overview
Chanel is an independent French luxury house renowned for haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, fragrance and beauty. Globally recognized for uncompromising quality and craftsmanship, the brand operates a vertically integrated business spanning design, production, distribution and retail. As an employer, Chanel emphasizes discretion, artisanal standards and cross-disciplinary collaboration across its global organization.
Role & Responsibilities
- Design, lead and scale operational excellence programs across manufacturing, distribution and retail operations in Greater China, aligning initiatives to Chanel’s quality and brand standards.
- Develop and deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies, process mapping, value-stream analysis and Kaizen events to reduce waste, shorten lead times and improve reliability.
- Establish and monitor KPIs, dashboards and governance to track program impact and ensure sustainable performance improvement.
- Sponsor and manage cross-functional projects with supply chain, production, planning, quality, retail and finance stakeholders; secure senior stakeholder alignment and remove barriers to delivery.
- Coach and develop local teams in problem-solving techniques, change management and continuous-improvement mindset; build internal capability and knowledge transfer.
- Lead audits, standards harmonization and best-practice rollouts; ensure solutions respect artisanal processes and brand-specific quality controls.
Qualifications
- Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt preferred) or demonstrable equivalent experience in continuous-improvement methodologies.
- Proven experience leading complex cross-functional projects and driving organizational change within operations.
- Strong analytical capability with experience building and managing operational KPIs and performance dashboards.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and to translate strategic objectives into executable operational plans.
- Fluency in corporate reporting and governance for project portfolios, including risk mitigation and benefit realisation tracking.
Skills
Experience
Typically 8+ years in operations, supply chain or manufacturing continuous-improvement roles with at least 3 years in a leadership or program-management capacity; prior experience in luxury goods, fashion, cosmetics or high-quality manufacturing preferred.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain or equivalent; a Master’s degree or MBA is advantageous.
Culture
Chanel’s workplace culture prizes craftsmanship, discretion and aesthetic excellence, with a strong emphasis on quality and heritage. Teams operate collaboratively across functions and geographies, balancing entrepreneurial initiative with rigorous standards and respect for artisanal processes.