Director of Operations, Grievance Mechanisms

Who are LRQA?

LRQA stands for dedication to clients, market firsts, and deep expertise in risk management. We’ve grown to become a leading global assurance provider, bringing together outstanding expertise in certification, customised assurance, cybersecurity, inspection and training.

While we’re proud of our heritage, it’s who we are today that really matters, because that’s what shapes who we and our clients can become tomorrow. By staying true to our shared values and combining decades of collective experience, we support our clients in building a safer and more sustainable future.

What do we do?

We help our clients negotiate a rapidly changing world, by working with them to manage and mitigate the risks they face. We serve a wide variety of industries, with a core focus on Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods, Transportation & Mobility, Technology & Telco, Construction & Manufacturing, Energy and Renewables and Chemical & Processing.

Our products and services range from independent third-party auditing to certification and training; we also offer consultancy services, real- time assurance technology and data-driven supply chain transformation programs. our innovative end-to- end solutions help our clients shape their own future, rather than letting it shape them.

LRQA currently operates across 51 countries, has more than 2,500 colleagues, generates around £350m in revenue, and supports more than 60,000 clients across a diverse range of sectors and markets.

The next chapter for LRQA

As the preferred assurance partner for our clients, we are relentless in helping them respond to the era of Assurance 4.0.

Our decades of sector expertise in assuring assets and management systems, ensuring product integrity, responsible sourcing, navigating the energy transition and achieving net zero, and strengthening cybersecurity maturity will help them to anticipate, mitigate and manage risk wherever they operate, freeing them to focus on growth..

With solid expertise and heritage in our sector, coupled with well-timed accelerated investment and a leadership team that is fully committed to delivering our vision, LRQA’s next chapter is set to be an exciting, transformational period of growth. We’re well placed to build on everything we’ve done and further our ambitions for the future. At such an exciting time key talent is critical, and this role is a great opportunity to be part of our next chapter.

Role Purpose

LRQA is seeking a Program Lead- Director of Operations to join our Advisory team in Hong Kong or Singapore and accelerate the development and growth of our grievance mechanism solutions and products.  This requires an investigative and curious mindset and an individual who can approach product development and management from a strategic, problem-solving angle. This role will require someone with previous operations management experience who is able to quickly understand client needs, design processes to address these needs and present back solutions and improvements in an efficient and value adding way.

LRQA already operates some of the world’s most successful grievance mechanisms for supply-chain workers, and we will be taking them to the next level. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to ensure the efficient and effective functioning of these mechanisms, including managing a team of operators, data analysts, regional case and project managers, as well as monitoring performance metrics, standardizing processes, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines.

Our grievance mechanisms are products/services that often require engagement with a variety of users and stakeholders, ranging from migrant workers to factory management to major global companies and civil society actors. They require an understanding of both human/user and technology needs. They cover numerous industries and geographies. Internal stakeholders may include software engineers, sales/marketing professionals, human rights consultants, and executive leaders. This role lies at the intersection of operations and product/data management.

Key Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Product Head, manage the entire product lifecycle of LRQA grievance mechanism solutions, looking for efficiencies in day-to-day processes, policies to drive execution of plans as the solutions grow;

• Develop and implement operational plans, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality assurance measures to maintain high standards of service delivery;

• Review financial information and adjust operational budgets to promote profitability;

• Manage a growing, dedicated team of regional project managers, data analytics/IT specialists, and case handlers to ensure smooth service operations and high customer satisfaction;

• Monitor and analyse performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes;

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines governing grievance mechanisms, including Data Protection and Information Security policies;

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of helpline services, including due diligence on new vendors and oversight of existing local implementing partners;

• Continuously look for innovative ways to improve back-end CMS/CRM content and workflows and oversee the generation of monthly data reports to customer satisfaction;

• Contribute to proposal writing, networking, and raising the profile of LRQA, as directed, to help secure new business opportunities with existing and prospective clients;

• Support product and service research and development as directed.

• Uphold standards of LRQA platforms and systems, including project management systems, business development systems, and other processes.

Key health & safety responsibilities:

Eliminate or minimise employee exposure to risks by regularly reviewing the health and safety risk register, applying appropriate controls, communicating results of risk assessments, and ensuring health and safety is considered in the planning and execution of all LRQA activities.

Manage your own, and your team’s, compliance with health and safety rules, instructions, systems and legal requirements to ensure employees are suitably trained and adequate resources are available to work safely.

Technical / Professional Qualifications / Requirements:

7-10+ years of relevant experience

Operations management experience required, including process improvement, business process optimization, and strong financial management and analysis capabilities required

Strong project management and quality assurance experience required

Fluent in written and spoken English

Strong written and spoken communication and presentation skills

Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills

Familiarity with MS Office and various business software (e.g. ERP, CRM)

Ability to work virtually, one-on-one, and in a team

Ability to work across different time zones and to hold meetings outside of regular local working hours

Keywords

Operations ManagementProduct DevelopmentFinancial ManagementProject ManagementQuality AssuranceComplianceCommunicationCollaborationMS OfficeBusiness Software