Head of Operations (m/w/d)

Job Description

The Company

• Sector: Management Consulting
• Location: Belgium/Brussels Office

In today’s VUCA world the major question is how fast you can progress and what are the ways you can progress better and faster than your competitors.

With 700 consultants, operating from 35 offices and working in over 75 countries, our client, is currently supporting more than 1000 “Progression programs” every year.

Their “Progression” moto, “Improving your results today, securing your results for tomorrow”, means balancing: (i) the implementation of structural changes & redesigned business models (Transformation) with (ii) tangible performance improvement in the short term (Boost) and with (iii) the investment in the processes, assets, capabilities, leadership and culture needed to ensure target results are also realized in the medium/long term (Build) and therefore making progression sustainable. It is not only about generating results quickly, but also about moving the client in the direction where it will be able to generate results tomorrow and progress faster and better than the competition.

Their approach, integrating process, digital, human dynamics and sustainability, is pragmatic in exploiting new technological opportunities, respectful, personalized, people-oriented and focused and committed to results rather than concepts. They cultivate long-term work relationships with their clients and their “tandem approach”, working “with” their clients and not “for” them, is central in their way of working.

The success of their unique approach is reflected by their 90% client retention and their established and first-rate reputation with large, high-profile local and global players in various sectors, such as Food & Beverage, Pharma & Biotech, Chemicals, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Utilities/Telco’s, Financial Services, FMCG, Retail, Hospitals & Healthcare …and others. 

To support and accelerate its further growth and ambition, their Belgian Office is now looking to recruit a pro-active, motivated and dynamic Head of Operations.

Role

As Head of Operations, reporting to the Executive Vice President/CEO Benelux, you will play a vital role in the further growth, development and management of the organization across multiple domains such as: People Management, Resource Management, Marketing, and Finance & Admin.

Your goal will be to provide efficient and pragmatic support for the proper functioning of the entire office and as such freeing up time of the Exco members for “Client” work, as well as to collaborate with Exco sponsors on upgrading the current standards and practices of the internal organization, where relevant.

You will be the operational backbone of the company and responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the internal workflow and practical concerns of the office as well as to implement processes and/or systems to help ensure good management of the organization, while securing and stimulating employee engagement and market reputation.

The role is essential to the functioning and success of the team. You will be the key driver to ensure the organization is well positioned for success. Success will be measured on the basis of agreed quantitative and qualitative objectives per domain and the initiatives taken and contribution to the development of the practice in general.

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Operations, and reporting to the Managing Director (direct line) and all ExCo / Extended Leadership Team members (dotted line) and in line with the values and culture, you will be responsible for “each” domain to:

• collaborate with the Executive Committee sponsors in setting and driving the organizational vision, operational strategies and needs;
• translate strategies into actionable goals and to create, implement and roll out the plans for operational processes, infrastructures, systems, tools and policies;
• either execute the agreed initiatives or to drive and monitor their execution;
• implement dashboards and systems to measure results and progress;
• identify and drive changes for improvement and implement or monitor the implementation of the necessary adjustments;
• coordinate and assure the smooth running of the daily operations.

Specific responsibilities and objectives per domain, will be provided in a later stage of the recruiting process.

Required Experience/Qualifications

Our client is seeking to hire a competent and versatile individual with the ability to keep an eagle-eye view on a wide range of topics. Ideally the candidate should have:

• a minimum of 3 years of experience in (a) comparable role(s) (e.g. Operations Manager, Head of Business Operations, Office Manager, etc.) in a professional services environment;
• direct and extensive experience/demonstrated success with running day-to-day operations as well as facilitating change and developing and implementing best practices and improvement projects;
• hands-on experience with People Management and Digital Marketing, with preferably at least one of the other functional domains within scope;
• a solid base in business planning: budgeting, forecasting and reporting;
• strong experience in project management including planning, organizing and coordinating staff;
• experience in cultivating company culture;
• experience in working in international and fast-paced environments;
• excellent knowledge of MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook);
• a Masters  degree in a relevant field or similar by experiences;
• Excellent command of English, Dutch and French.

Previous Consulting delivery experience is considered a plus.

Your Profile

Our client is looking for an outstanding, versatile experienced multi-tasker (with):

• a passion for excellence and employee engagement;
• supportive, active listener, driven, empathic, self-starter;
• strong analytical skills and financial acumen;
• an open, flexible, resilient, entrepreneurial, positive and pragmatic mind with can-do attitude, able to think laterally and creatively in problem-solving and issue resolution;
• a strong determination and sense of responsibility, high pro-activity, action and result-driven personality, lots of energy and able to work independently;
• strong personal impact and proven ability to communicate and interact effectively at all levels and to give persuasive advice;
• a proven ability to adapt and “getting things done”;
• superior organizational and planning skills and able to work on different domains simultaneously and at times under high pressure and in changing circumstances;
• a strong ability to work independently and to prioritize in a fast-paced environment;
• an orientation to details with losing the bigger picture and keeping the final goal in mind;
• a team player able to motivate teams and to drive collaboration and inclusion;
• an openness for suggestions, honest about mistakes and proactively seeking feedback.

In summary, the key ingredients for success will be a combination of: strong operational execution skills; good organizational and problem solving capabilities and strong interpersonal skills.

The Role Offers

This is an excellent opportunity for a dynamic and entrepreneurial candidate, eager to learn a lot in a very short timeframe and open to work with senior and experienced people.

You will:

• enter in a varied and challenging role that you can help shape and develop yourself;
• be able to make a real impact by being the operational backbone and “go-to” person of the company;
• enjoy a considerable degree of empowerment and be part of a motivated, dynamic and fun team;
• be respected and valued for your qualities;
• have space for individual initiative and personal growth; to do things and put your ideas forward;
• be able to play an important role in the further development and success of a growing international leader in its field.

Our client’s culture is open and co-creative, direct, feedback driven, high performing and no-nonsense, where own initiative and taking on responsibilities is highly valued. Its working environment is pleasant with a flat hierarchy, transparent processes and short decision lines. It has a strong team spirit and flexible working models.

The role will offer ample opportunities for personal development and growth and for someone with the right entrepreneurial spirit, initiative and drive, the possibility to be in charge of his/her own career and to help shape the future and growth of the practice and participate in its success.

Contact

If of interest, please apply online and provide us with your CV together with the reasons for your interest and relevant experience summary for this role. For further information, please call Piere Melis: +32. 2.790.6880.