Operational Performance Lead

Job Title: Operations Performance Lead

• Location: Brussels or Paris (hybrid: on average 3 days/week on-site) with regular travel across the European high-speed network (London, Lille, Amsterdam, Germany). Travel and accommodation is foreseen.
• Seniority Level: Senior (6+ years).
• Languages: English (Fluent), French (Fluent).
• Availability: asap
• Assignment duration: Until 31 December 2027.

Please note: This is a business operational excellence, transport performance, and Lean governance assignment (Non-IT).

Context of the assignment Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Operational Excellence / Continuous Improvement Lead to support its Operations function and performance improvement roadmap. This is a cross-functional, non-IT mission dedicated to optimizing physical railway operations, monitoring network punctuality (including H00 departures) and infrastructure-manager performance across five countries, and rolling out continuous improvement initiatives across all operations divisions.

Responsibilities

• Translate the operational performance roadmap into structured workstreams, milestones, and deployment priorities across Operations divisions.
• Prepare and facilitate daily, weekly, and monthly performance governance reviews, technical commissions, and meetings with infrastructure managers across five countries.
• Develop high-level briefing notes, executive dashboards, minutes, decision logs, and action trackers tailored for operational teams up to CEO/COO-level leadership.
• Perform root-cause and variance analyses on operational data, converting performance gaps into concrete, measurable improvement plans.
• Design, coordinate, and implement sustainable continuous improvement and quality projects using Lean/quality methodologies.
• Build and deliver training, documentation, and knowledge-transfer sessions to upskill cross-functional project and operational contributors.

Knowledge & experience

Must-haves:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Business, or Programme Management.
• Strong operational excellence and continuous improvement expertise, supported by a Lean / Six Sigma Green Belt certification or equivalent practical track record.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience within a transport or railway company.
• Advanced project management skills with proven ability to lead multi-stakeholder governance across operational and executive levels.
• Strong analytical capabilities to turn complex operational data and regularity/punctuality gaps into targeted action plans.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• High autonomy, structured governance delivery, and rigorous documentation/traceability habits.
• Fluent in English and French (oral and written; all deliverables are produced in English).
• Flexibility for on-site presence (approx. 3 days/week in Brussels or Paris) and travel across the international rail network.

Nice-to-haves:

• Master’s degree or equivalent qualification in Quality or Programme Management.
• Practical experience working in a multicultural and cross-border European environment.
• Working knowledge of Dutch and/or German.
• Hands-on experience with railway operational governance, infrastructure-manager relations, and performance dashboards.