Senior Process Manager (d/f/m) R&D Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

In this role, you will drive the efficiency of the global Stage-Gate process for product development across LIXIL's brands and regions. You are the operational engine behind our R&D delivery: ensuring clear work packages, disciplined gate transitions, and practical governance that project teams can easily adopt. As the primary subject matter expert, you will serve as the trusted advisor for project managers and gatekeepers on all process inquiries.

The role works through influence across a matrixed, multi-cultural organisation and is a service to colleagues rather than an audit function. R&D is in active transformation on tooling and data quality, so ambiguity and shifting priorities are part of the job.

• *Your Responsibilities:**
• Drive continuous optimisation of the global Stage-Gate Work Packages, ensuring deliverables are lean, consistent and harmonised across brands and regions.
• Maintain and enforce the global R&D governance framework: processes, tools, RASCI models, cadence structures and compliance checkpoints.
• Safeguard gate readiness, documentation integrity and audit readiness across all gate transitions.
• Define, track and report R&D KPIs covering gate discipline, cycle time and pipeline health.
• Develop and maintain digitalized templates, blueprints, work instructions and process documentation that simplify execution for project managers.