As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the unique challenges startups face managing their rollercoaster growth. We’ve lived it.
We know that even well-funded teams can lack the bandwidth to recruit, train, and integrate the operations staff needed to meet growing demand. And that even when the right employees are in place, many companies lack the crucial mid-management layer needed to drive employee performance and process improvements.
Hugo was created with the high-growth startup in mind. We custom build or augment existing operations teams for companies in scaling mode, leaving founders and senior management to focus on what matters most: growth.
The Manager, Operational Excellence is responsible for establishing and maintaining the integrity of Hugo’s operational processes across all service lines within Generative AI delivery. The role reports to the Director of Generative AI Operations and owns the full process governance lifecycle: understanding how work is done today, codifying that into standardised procedures, validating their effectiveness, embedding them across the organisation, providing independent assurance of compliance, and driving continuous improvement.
Core Responsibilities
Process Discovery and Systems Mapping
Conduct a structured discovery across all operational functions to map the end-to-end process architecture
Identify all existing process documentation, including SOPs, project-specific runbooks, client-facing playbooks, and informal practices that exist only as institutional knowledge
Process Codification and Standardisation
Codify all critical operational processes into formal Standard Operating Procedures, working with process owners to reconcile any differences between documented intent and actual practice
Establish a centralised, version-controlled SOP repository with clear taxonomy, ownership, review cycles, and change control protocols
Validation
Design and execute structured validation protocols for newly codified or revised SOPs, testing them against live workflows to confirm they are accurate, complete, and executable by the teams who will use them
Document validation results and obtain process owner approval before proceeding to deployment
Deployment and Embedding Across Teams
Develop practical adoption materials, quick-reference guides, checklists, decision trees, and job aids, that make compliance intuitive for front-line teams
Execute a phased rollout plan that sequences deployment by team, site, or project, allowing for controlled adoption and early identification of implementation challenges
Live Monitoring & Periodic Audit
Design and implement a structured audit programme covering all critical operational processes on a defined cycle
Where independence is required, coordinate with external auditors to ensure separation between process design and process assurance, maintaining the credibility of audit findings
Maintain an audit findings tracker and hold process owners accountable for timely closure of all remediation items
Continuous Improvement & Process Evolution
Synthesise insights from monitoring data, audit findings, operational metrics, and stakeholder feedback to identify recurring process gaps, inefficiencies, and failure modes
Benchmark Hugo’s process maturity against industry standards and client expectations, identifying areas where Hugo should lead versus where it needs to close gaps
If you are excited about delivering the following outcomes, then this role is for you
A complete, validated, and aligned operating model that codifies how Hugo delivers across all service lines
A two-tier assurance framework, live monitoring and periodic audit, that provides continuous confidence in operational integrity
Measurable reduction in process-related defects, rework, and client escalations
Audit-ready documentation that satisfies both internal governance requirements and client-mandated compliance standards
What Qualifications You’ll Need
Required Experience and Skills
5–8+ years in operations auditing, process excellence, quality assurance, or operational governance roles within high-volume, operationally intensive environments
Demonstrated experience designing end-to-end process governance frameworks: from discovery and codification through monitoring, audit, and continuous improvement
Experience building and managing SOP libraries, compliance monitoring systems, and audit programmes
Experience producing audit reports for senior leadership and coordinating with external auditors
Proficiency in process documentation tools, workflow management systems, and data analysis platforms (Excel/Sheets, BI tools, survey platforms)
Strongly Preferred
Experience in BPO, AI operations, data annotation, or managed services environments with distributed, multicultural teams
Knowledge of quality management methodologies (ISO 9001, Six Sigma, Lean) or operational excellence frameworks
Internal audit certification (CIA, CISA) or quality management certification (CQA, ASQ)