Operational Excellence Associate

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About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.
Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role
As an Operational Excellence Associate, you will structure, formalize, and expand Harmattan AI's internal systems through a rigorous, data-centric approach.
Your mission is to elevate the company to a superior level of operational maturity by:
* Designing robust blueprints for internal workflows.
* Establishing quantitative performance metrics to track success.
* Supporting ISO certifications and regulatory standards.
* Spearheading continuous improvement initiatives based on measurable impact.
In this high-impact role, you will act as the "connective tissue" between Engineering, Manufacturing, and Leadership. You won't just enforce processes; you will architect the high-maturity engine that enables Harmattan AI to grow. This is an ideal position for a cross-functional strategist who thrives on building rigor within a fast-paced, industrial environment.

Responsibilities
Operational Excellence, Coordination & Continuous Improvement
* Analyse, challenge, and optimise existing operational processes using fact-based and quantitative approaches.
* Anticipate scaling & operational risks and regulatory hurdles, designing proactive remediation strategies to stay ahead of company growth.
* Proactively manage risks and trade-offs, providing leadership with data-backed recommendations to resolve misalignments and accelerate decision-making.

Data, Performance Tracking & Decision Support

* Define, structure, own KPIs and operational metrics aligned with company objectives.
* Conduct deep-dive analyses to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
* Translate operational data into clear insights and decision-support recommendations.

Operational Tooling & Automation

* Identify process bottlenecks and partner with Engineering to design, build, and deploy high-impact solutions, ranging from AI agents and APIs to seamless ERP integrations to automate our processes.
* Translate operational needs into precise data specifications, ensuring all tools are built for scale while maintaining "gold standard" ISO traceability and compliance.

ISO Certifications & Structured Management Systems

* Partner with cross-functional teams (Cyber, Quality, Manufacturing) to design and deploy the controls required to achieve and sustain ISO certifications.
* Lead gap analyses and evidence-based internal audits to ensure our processes remain lean, compliant, and ready for regulatory scrutiny.

Requirements
* Master's degree preferred in Finance, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. 2-5 years of professional experience in management consulting or similarly demanding, analytics-driven environments.
* Proven exposure to operational excellence, process improvement, strategy, operations, or performance-focused roles, with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
* Excellent written and verbal communication in English, fluency in French is a very strong asset. Capable of leading diverse principals, able to operate seamlessly between technicians, engineers, contractors, and leadership
* Strong quantitative and analytical mindset, with demonstrated ability to work with data to drive decisions.
* Proven experience building or using KPIs, dashboards, reporting, or analytical tools.
* Ability to structure ambiguous problems and translate complexity into clear analyses, metrics, and documentation.
* Comfortable working autonomously in a fast-growing, high-expectation, and technical environment.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI