Principal Flowline Leader

Job description

**Job Requirements** - Lead **business development and operational delivery** across a regional portfolio of flowlines (or a major single client where scale requires). - Act as an **Architect for 90% of the role**, designing operating models, flowline structures, governance, and maturity plans; act as **Executor for 10%**, handling escalations and targeted interventions. - Apply **Lean principles and continuous improvement** to drive productivity, flow, OTD, and performance (Green/Black Belt‑level competence desirable). - Use **data‑driven decision making**, gathering and interpreting fragmented or complex data to create clear insights and improvement actions. - Operate as a **systems thinker** with strong commercial understanding—focused on outcomes, not traditional engineering detail. - Demonstrate excellent communication, teamwork, curiosity, and the ability to influence at all organisational levels, including the Executive Board. **Role Purpose** The Principal Flowline Manager is responsible for the **strategic architecture, performance, and growth** of a portfolio of operational flowlines. This role blends **business development, operational delivery leadership, and systems‑level design** to ensure the flowlines operate efficiently, profitably, and in alignment with customer and business expectations. Approximately **90% of the role focuses on being an Architect**—designing the operating model, shaping the flowline structure, aligning capabilities, and driving continuous improvement. The remaining **10% focuses on execution**, providing leadership on escalations and targeted intervention when necessary. The role may span a **regional portfolio of clients**, or—where scale requires—be **dedicated to a single strategic client**. This is a role for a **systems thinker**, commercially minded and delivery‑focused—not a traditional engineer—capable of turning complex data, fragmented information, and business needs into clear operational strategies and results. **Key Responsibilities** **1. Flowline Architecture & Operating Model Design ( 90% of time)** - Architect end‑to‑end flowline structures including workflow, staffing models, governance cadence, maturity plans, and performance measures. - Design scalable, repeatable delivery frameworks that improve speed, productivity, OTD, and margin. - Define standard work, visual controls, problem‑solving routines, and continuous improvement rhythms. - Ensure flowline design aligns with customer strategy, commercial objectives, and long‑term business growth. **2. Operational Execution & Escalation Leadership ( 10% of time)** - Provide senior-level intervention on escalations, delivery risks, and customer-critical issues. - Partner with Flowline Leads to resolve blockers, restore delivery stability, and protect customer trust. - Mentor Flowline Leads on planning, prioritisation, and decision-making. **3. Business Development & Client Growth** - Identify and shape new business opportunities across regional clients or within a large client ecosystem. - Support bid development, contract extensions, rate card evolution, and capability proposals. - Act as the strategic partner for customer stakeholders—linking operational capability to business outcomes. **4. Lean Leadership & Continuous Improvement** - Apply Lean principles to diagnose waste, inefficiencies, and variability within flowlines. - Facilitate Kaizen events, A3 problem solving, and CI activities targeting throughput, OTD, and cost efficiency. - Drive a culture of continuous improvement, coaching teams on Lean behaviours and structured problem solving. **5. Data‑Led Decision Making & Performance Management** - Gather and interpret fragmented, incomplete, or complex data to create clear insights and actionable plans. - Own portfolio performance dashboards: OTD, cycle time, productivity, cost-to-serve, capacity, and financial health. - Ensure Flowline Leads are managing to targets and understanding the drivers behind performance shifts. **6. Stakeholder, Customer & Cross‑Functional Leadership** - Engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels—from Executive Board to frontline teams. - Build strong relationships with customers, positioning yourself as a trusted advisor on operational performance and future capability. - Collaborate with Finance, HR, PMO, Engineering, and Delivery to ensure the flowlines operate as an integrated system. **7. Culture, Capability & People Leadership** - Coach and mentor Flowline Leads to elevate operational maturity and leadership capability. - Develop cross-functional collaboration, shared learning, and operational transparency across flowlines. - Foster curiosity, openness, and evidence‑based decision making across the portfolio. **Work Experience** - Proven track record in operational leadership, service delivery, or portfolio management in engineering, technical services, or similar complex environments. - Demonstrated success applying Lean principles and continuous improvement (Green Belt or Black Belt level desirable). - Experience designing or optimising operating models, delivery flows, or multi-team systems. - Strong commercial awareness and experience with business development or customer growth initiatives. - Skilled in analysing and interpreting complex, incomplete, or fragmented data into actionable insights. - Comfortable engaging at Executive level and influencing without authority. - Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship‑building skills. - A natural systems thinker—structured, curious, and open‑minded. - Strategic systems thinking - Lean/CI expertise - Data-driven decision making - Strong commercial acumen - Exceptional communication and influencing - Operational discipline and results focus - High curiosity and adaptability - Leadership through collaboration and coaching