Head Continuous Improvement at Hollard Insurance

•   Leads, guides, facilitate and manage all continuous improvement activities in the organization.  Facilitates continuous improvement workshops and provides ongoing guidance on CI strategy and implementation. Assists business units and operations to identify and improve bench-mark best “processes” practices, thereby improving the bottom-line through cost savings. Responsible for aligning the business unit strategy to the overall group strategy. The incumbent would possess a very good understanding of CI methodology, tools and techniques, e.g. LEAN, SIX SIGMA, KAIZEN & TOC, and their application
• The Continuous Improvement (CI) department serves as the internal management consultancy to the Hollard Insure Business Unit. This department supports Insure to implement operational improvements, using Hollard’s Continuous Improvement philosophy (based on lean management principles).  Projects are primarily focused on delivering improved delivery, cost optimisation, quality and staff capability development by focusing on improving Process, People, Planning and Problem-Solving capabilities.
• Serve as the Head of the Continuous Improvement Department to improve and optimise customer experience and operational efficiencies and effectiveness in Hollard divisions, line departments and partner companies.
• Responsible for managing the client relationship, project teams and the solution, to achieve the department’s purpose and goals.
• Drive the formulation and execution of strategic projects, including the provision of the necessary operational expertise and best practice.
• The key output for this role is to ensure delivery of the business case benefit for every project in the CI project portfolio. e. a project is not done until the benefit is delivered.
• Implement/Maintain Team Management Systems: Run and maintain a structured management system that provides full oversight on all team activities and allows for exception management where activities do not deliver the expected output.
• Set Team Strategic Targets: Ensure that the team is delivering towards set strategic targets that supports the overall Hollard Insure Strategic Targets.
• Manage Key Relationships: Build strong relationships with the Hollard Executive Committee, as well as with all other Hollardites.
• Advisory:  Provide operational excellence advisory support to senior management committees.
• Ensure a Healthy CI Project Pipeline: Ensure that the team’s project pipeline is filled with enough projects which benefits will at the very least cover the team’s annual cost.
• Project Delivery: Drive strong standards and provide the required support to ensure consistent and effective delivery on projects.  This includes Project Management Standards, Process Improvement Standards and Root Cause Problem Solving Standards. Also formally track and report on project benefits delivered.
• Manage Finances: Create team budget and manage spend to budget.  Ensure that the CI Team cost allocation per project is well understood and agreed to by the project sponsors, and that the processing of the CI Team allocations by finance is aligned to what has been agreed with the project sponsors.
• Manage People: General management of team.

Required Knowledge and Experience    

• 10 years related experience
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a managerial / line management role.
• Experience in managing projects and project teams essential.
• Experience in senior stakeholder management.
• Experience in the practical application of operational excellence methodologies (e.g. Lean Management).
• A proven track record in delivering results in projects.
• A proven track record in delivering results through team members.
• Experience in Short-Term Insurance an advantage.
• Leading Teams.
• Passionate about people development.
• General Team Management (Setting Strategic Direction, Driving an Enabling Team Culture, Managing Quality of Output, Hiring Good Talent, Manging Team Development and Performance, Budgeting).
• Assertiveness & Influence.
• Program and Project Management.
• Lean process optimisation.
• Root cause problem solving.
• Target Operating Model design.
• Management system design.
• Professional Presentation Skills.
• Advanced Microsoft PowerPoint Skills.

Educational Requirements    

• Honours degree minimum
• 8 to 10 years related experience