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$34K

$107.7K

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How much do director operational excellence jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for director operational excellence in the United States is $107,680.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,500.00 and $135,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Director Operational Excellence job?

A Director of Operational Excellence is responsible for driving continuous improvement initiatives across an organization to enhance efficiency, productivity, and quality. They develop strategies, implement best practices, and foster a culture of operational excellence using methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, and process optimization. Their role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, analyzing performance metrics, and identifying opportunities for improvement. By streamlining workflows and eliminating inefficiencies, they help the organization achieve cost savings and sustainable growth.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Director Operational Excellence position, and why are they important?

To excel as a Director Operational Excellence, you need a strong background in process improvement, project management, and strategic leadership, often supported by a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree. Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, along with certifications like Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, is highly valued. Exceptional communication, change management, and analytical thinking skills help professionals drive transformation and gain buy-in from cross-functional teams. These qualifications are critical for successfully leading operational initiatives that enhance efficiency, quality, and business performance.

What are the main challenges a Director Operational Excellence typically faces in the role?

Directors of Operational Excellence often encounter challenges such as breaking down organizational silos, managing resistance to change, and standardizing processes across diverse departments or regions. They must navigate complex stakeholder dynamics while implementing process improvements that may disrupt established habits and workflows. Success in this role requires balancing strategic vision with practical execution, ensuring improvements are sustainable and aligned with business goals. Strong leadership and the ability to influence at all levels of the organization are essential for overcoming these challenges.

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What cities are hiring for Director Operational Excellence jobs? Cities with the most Director Operational Excellence job openings:
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What states have the most Director Operational Excellence jobs? States with the most job openings for Director Operational Excellence jobs include:
Director, U.S. Operational Excellence

Director, U.S. Operational Excellence

Ipsen

Cambridge, MA

$177K - $260K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

Title:

Director, U.S. Operational Excellence

Company:

Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc.


About Ipsen:

Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.

Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company's success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!

For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Job Description:

The Director, Operational Excellence is a critical leadership role supporting the Head of U.S. Field Operations, responsible for orchestrating the day-to-day execution of high-impact operational programs that enable Ipsen's U.S. business and improve outcomes for HCPs and patients.

This role serves as the operational backbone across Fleet, Congress Planning, Strategic Operations, and Project Management, ensuring seamless execution of core processes and removing barriers to performance across the organization.

The Director leads enterprise-wide initiatives including Brand Planning, U.S. meetings and congress strategy, and field resource management, while continuously identifying and implementing improvements to drive efficiency, scale, and executional excellence. Operating with high influence and limited formal authority, this role requires strong cross-functional leadership, the ability to align stakeholders across Commercial, Medical, Value & Access and Global teams, and a disciplined approach to delivering complex programs.

As a trusted partner to Business Operations and Strategy Leadership Team and North America Leadership, the Director contributes to the development and execution of strategic business plans while advancing sales and marketing effectiveness. This role also plays a key part in building organizational capability, developing talent, strengthening ways of working, and shaping the future operating model, making it an ideal position for a high-potential leader preparing for broader enterprise leadership responsibilities.

WHAT - Main Responsibilities

Commercial Planning & Field Alignment

  • Own end-to-end commercial planning (annual cycles, brand planning, field deployment) to ensure strategy translates into consistent execution across all U.S. BUs
  • Align Sales, Marketing, and Operations to drive coordinated execution and eliminate gaps
  • Standardize and improve planning processes to increase speed, quality, and decision-making

Field Operations

  • Lead execution of field-facing activities (national sales meetings, brand planning, congresses, communications, fleet, logistics) across the U.S.
  • Ensure operational readiness for launches and key initiatives across Business Units
  • Optimize vendors and spend to deliver high-quality execution with cost efficiency
  • Drive consistency and scalability of field execution practices
  • Identify and remove operational barriers to improve field productivity and experience

Operational Excellence, Systems & Governance

  • Own field operations processes, systems, and governance to enable scalable, compliant execution
  • Define and track KPIs to drive performance and continuous improvement
  • Establish SOPs and standards to ensure consistency across all field activities
  • Partner cross-functionally to improve ways of working and execution effectiveness

Leadership & Team Management

  • Lead a multi-functional operations team
  • Set priorities aligned to commercial goals and business impact
  • Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
  • Influence cross-functional stakeholders to ensure aligned execution

HOW - Knowledge & Experience

Knowledge & Experience (essential):

  • 12+ years of experience in pharmaceutical field operations, commercial operations, or business operations with an advanced degree; or 15+ years with a Bachelor's degree
  • Strong understanding of U.S. commercial model, field execution, and operational processes
  • Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and supporting multi-Business Unit environments
  • Proven ability to drive operational excellence, planning processes, and execution support at scale

Education / Certifications:

  • Bachelor's degree required (Business, Life Sciences, or related field)
  • Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MS) preferred

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $177,000 - $260,000

This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentives program. At Ipsen we are proud to offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including 401(k) with company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, as well as flexible spending accounts. Ipsen also provides parental leave, paid time off, a discretionary winter shutdown, well-being allowance, commuter benefits, and much more.

The pay range displayed above is the range of base pay compensation within which Ipsen expects to pay for this role at the time of this posting. Individual compensation within this range depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, prior education and experience, job-related knowledge and demonstrated skills.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace "The Real Us". The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application. Ipsen is an equal opportunity employer that strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, mental/physical disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.