Manager, Operational Excellence, Generative AI Operations

ABOUT HUGO

Hugo Technologies, Inc. (“Hugo”) is committed to nurturing the best of Africa’s young talent. We build and manage remote teams across Africa for some of the world’s largest technology and media companies. We specialize in omnichannel customer support, digital and AI operations, and trust and safety solutions.

Our “Why?” is simple. Outsourcing generates billions in income and opportunities globally, but less than 2% reaches African communities. We’re changing that. By winning a share of the multi-billion-dollar global BPO market for Africa, we are investing in a brighter future for the continent.

As a company, we’re obsessed with excellence. We ask smart questions to build a thorough understanding of our client's needs; then pour ourselves into delivering not just great work, but also a perfect user experience so that we stand out in what is a very crowded market.

The only commitment greater than the one we have to our clients is the one we have to our community. We are dedicated to carving out a place in the digital economy for young Africans, and we work tirelessly to equip them with the skills needed to build meaningful careers.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

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)

WHAT WE PROVIDE

Hugo offers a hybrid work environment that balances employee flexibility with a collegial, fun office culture. We pride ourselves on offering a dynamic environment where ambitious professionals can make a measurable impact and accelerate their careers. Our compensation and benefits are highly competitive.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Any information you submit to Hugo as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Hugo’s Privacy Policy.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our DNA. Promoting and, where possible, improving diversity, equity and inclusion are a value-based and commercial necessity. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability, or any other legally protected status