International Director, Performance Excellence

ABOUT US

Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group (SOTG), a division of the Fortune 500 Seaboard Corporation, is a globally integrated leader in agricultural commodity trading, processing, and logistics. With milling facilities in 14 locations across 10 countries and 10 trading offices in 9 countries, we produce approximately two million metric tons of grain-based products annually.

Our vertically integrated approach—spanning procurement, transportation, and processing—ensures quality, consistency, and supply chain efficiency. We manage bulk freight and chartered vessels, overseeing logistics for both in-house and third-party customers. Every year, we source, transport, and market around 14 million metric tons of diverse commodities, supporting food security and economic growth in the regions we serve.

At SOTG, we are driven by innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. Our business model fosters an entrepreneurial mindset, empowering our teams to take ownership, find creative solutions, and drive impact.

GENERAL PURPOSE

The International Director of Performance Excellence will provide advanced knowledge and thought leadership to execute the strategic implementation of operational excellence processes (including Reliability Excellence) and management systems focused on driving operational performance, value creation and value capture across manufacturing sites. This role will initially drive continuous improvement processes across operations and focus on outcomes that support customer expectations in diverse and often remote locations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Process Development and Deployment: Execute strategic plans and partner in development of road maps by site and region for the deliberate intent of improving continuous improvement and reliability excellence maturity. Advise on the deployment of performance excellence processes (including CI tools) within facilities to ensure successful and sustained process deployments and drive the improvement of key metrics to ensure successful and sustainable outcomes.

• Culture Building: Stand up a sustainable value creation process and foster a culture that will enable safe and efficient operational practices and a continuous improvement mindset. Support the deployment of project identification and daily improvement programs, including a systematic tracking and reporting mechanism.

• Performance Enablement: Enable improvements by championing and leading operational practices by helping define and monitor key performance indicators for safety, quality, reliability, cost and productivity across all SOTG channels (milling, feed, pasta, etc.)

• Data Driven Decision Making: Be a trusted partner with stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization in driving the use of data and analytics to increase operational intelligence and ultimately sustainable performance.

• Capability Building and Leadership: Work with OD (Organizational Development Resources) to establish a program to identify, train and certify Continuous Improvement Belt Programs and Root Cause Analysis Facilitators across the business.

• Cross Domain Synergies: Partner with the Automation, Electrical and Instrumentation lead and site resources to support the identification and implementation of automation and digital improvement solutions in the production environment. Identify areas of improvement in different locations, prioritizing them according to the value creation and identifying commonalities that can be leveraged across sites / regions.

• Leading Practices: Prioritize, support and deploy leading practices and ensure proper implementation designed to drive process confirmation efforts.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree: Supply Chain, Engineering Discipline or Milling/Feed Sciences

• 10 years of leadership experience in manufacturing environments

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

• Black Belt minimum. Master Black Belt Preferred

• Strong background using influencing skills to deliver Continuous Improvement tools

• Demonstrated project portfolio and governance skills including identifying and aligning value drivers to govern decision making in a portfolio

• High levels of analytical capabilities, organizational and strategic thinking skills and systems thinker with focus on Execution

• Strong communication, organizational, facilitation, change management and mentoring skills

• Operational Excellence knowledge

• Fluency in English required; Additionally, French is a plus

• Experience working with or in developing countries and remote locations

• Ability to travel internationally 30% (multiple trips/year of varying duration)

• Physically fit to navigate challenging site conditions (e.g. climbing stairs, tight spaces)

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is performed in a professional office environment and involves frequent contact with others as part of Seaboard's collaborative culture. This position is Office-based in KC with travel to Seaboard-affiliated milling sites across Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. The employee must be comfortable working outside traditional comfort zones and in physically remote locations. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to hear and communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, and with sufficient mobility to perform assigned tasks. Regular use of standard office equipment, such as computers and phones, is required. This role may have physical demands including, but not limited to, lifting, bending, pushing, pulling and/or extended sitting and standing. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. The position requires specific vision abilities, including close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Communicates Effectively
• Plans and Aligns
• Collaborates
• Manages Complexity
• Nimble Learning
• Drive Engagement
• Optimizes Work Processes
• Financial Acumen Drives Results
• Builds Networks
• Organizational Savvy
• Develops Talent

Salary : $120,000 - $180,000