CHIEF INNOVATION & OPERATIONS OFFICER

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Today, the RSPO is a global, non-profit organisation with over 6,000 voluntary members across 104 countries and territories, representing every link in the supply chain: oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs.

At RSPO, we believe that our success is built by the passion, dedication, skills, and expertise of our people. They are the ones who drive our organisation to new heights and guide us through the next phase of our development.

The Chief Innovation and Operations Officer (CIOO) is a senior executive role responsible for driving systems innovation, operational excellence and market expansion across RSPO’s global operations. This position focuses on transforming how RSPO delivers value to members through innovative operational approaches, process optimization, and market development, ensuring RSPO achieves its ambitious growth targets while maintaining world-class service delivery to members across the global palm oil supply chain.

The CIOO also plays a critical role in harnessing data as a strategic asset – leading enterprise-wide data governance, quality, and analytics initiatives to support evidence-based decision-making, transparency, and performance monitoring. By leveraging robust data management frameworks and digital tools, the CIOO ensures that RSPO’s operations, reporting, and stakeholder engagement are informed by accurate, timely, and actionable insights.

The CIOO oversees efforts to strengthen RSPO’s sustainability standards and integrity, create new certification products, and increase the reach of RSPO’s work through membership, trade facilitation and innovative partnerships.

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia or Jakarta, Indonesia.

Tenure: 2 years fixed – term contract convertible to permanent subject to satisfactory performance.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties include but will not be limited to the following:

Systems Innovation & Integration:

• Holistic Systems Design: Lead the development of integrated operational systems that connect certification, member services, learning, data/ information management, and stakeholder engagement into seamless, data-informed workflows.
• prisma Platform Evolution: Guide the strategic evolution of RSPO’s core systems in close collaboration with the Chief Digital and Strategy Officer, emphasizing user experience optimization, operational efficiency, and the intelligent use of data to enhance decision-making and performance tracking, rather than focusing on technical implementation.
• Process Innovation: Design and implement breakthrough approaches to certification workflows that reduce processing time, improve data accuracy, and deliver higher-quality outcomes.
• Service Integration: Create interconnected service delivery models that anticipate member needs and use real-time data insights to deliver proactive, personalized support.
• Innovation Laboratory: Establish systematic approaches for testing, scaling, and analyzing operational innovations across markets and member segments, embedding data feedback loops to guide continuous improvement.
• Cross-System Optimization: Eliminate operational silos through integrated thinking, coordinated system improvements, and a unified data architecture that ensures consistency, transparency, and shared access to critical operational intelligence.

Operational Excellence & Performance Management

• End-to-End Process Ownership: Redesign certification journeys from initial application through ongoing compliance monitoring, using data-oriented approaches to enhance business processes and improve service delivery.
• Quality Systems Enhancement: Develop comprehensive quality frameworks ensuring consistent delivery meeting RSPO P&C standards while reducing variation
• Performance Analytics: Implement measurement systems tracking operational effectiveness, member outcomes, and organizational impact
• Resource Optimization: Lead efficiency initiatives targeting 10% reduction in cost per member over the initial three years, through intelligent resource allocation and process redesign
• Vendor Ecosystem Management: Transform vendor relationships into strategic partnerships that enhance operational capabilities
• Continuous Improvement Culture: Establish organization-wide commitment to operational excellence and systematic improvement

Member Experience & Service Innovation

• Strategic Partnership: Create relationships with strategic partners to change the market and increase the consumption of RSPO-certified palm oil. Manage relations with corporate entities, other industries, and financial institutions to facilitate the availability of funds and investment in sustainable palm oil. Promote activities that reward economically, and promote the adoption of sustainable practices by producers, smallholders, and RSPO members.
• Service Design Leadership: Apply human-centered design principles to reimagine how members interact with RSPO across all touchpoints
• Learning System Innovation: Transform the RSPO Learning Centre into an adaptive, personalized development platform achieving a minimum of 80% engagement
• Expert Connection Platform: Design innovative approaches for connecting members with specialized knowledge and peer learning opportunities
• Predictive Member Support: Develop systems that anticipate member needs and provide proactive assistance throughout their certification journey
• Feedback Integration Systems: Create comprehensive mechanisms for capturing, analyzing, and acting on member insights to drive service improvements
• Global Service Standardization: Ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery across all regional operations while adapting to local needs

Strategic Innovation & Organizational Development

• Strategic Initiative Leadership: Provide systems thinking and operational innovation for market expansion initiatives, particularly in Japan, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America
• Business Model Innovation: Design and implement new service delivery models including modular offerings, advisory services, and member matching platforms
• Revenue System Optimization: Enable new revenue streams through innovative service packaging and delivery approaches
• Cross-Functional Integration: Lead organizational transformation initiatives that break down silos and optimize cross-departmental collaboration
• Change Management Excellence: Drive systematic organizational change supporting RSPO’s structural evolution and growth objectives
• Innovation Culture Development: Foster organization-wide commitment to experimentation, learning, and adaptive improvement
• Any other such duties reasonably assigned by the CEO.

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT

Education

• Master’s degree in Operations Management, Systems Engineering, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, or related field.

Experience

• Minimum 12 years progressive leadership experience in operations management, systems innovation, and organizational transformation. Proven experience in establishing and growing market-focused teams, demonstrating process innovation and operational excellence within non-profit, certification, standards, or multi-stakeholder organizations.
• Experience developing and implementing market solutions in the sustainability standards, agriculture and/or food systems sector would be a distinct advantage. Background in sustainability, agriculture, supply chain management, or certification systems strongly preferred

Technical and Professional Knowledge

• Systems Thinking & Quality Management: Advanced capability in analysing complex organizational systems and designing integrated solutions. Experience in quality framework and certification standards.
• Process Innovation & Service Design: Expertise in lean methodologies, process reengineering, and operational excellence frameworks (Lean Methods, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc.). Experience with human-centered design, customer journey mapping, and service innovation methodologies
• Technology Fluency: Working knowledge of enterprise systems and digital platforms sufficient for strategic oversight and innovation guidance
• Systems Leadership & Innovation Management: Demonstrated ability to think systemically and lead complex organizational transformations. Experience fostering innovation cultures and managing systematic improvement initiatives
• Team Development & Change Leadership: Experience building and leading high-performing, diverse, global teams focused on operational excellence. Track record of successfully leading large-scale operational and organizational transformation initiatives
• Stakeholder Management & Communication Excellence: Proven ability to engage effectively with board members, executives, members, and external partners in complex multi-stakeholder environments. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English; additional languages advantageous
• Cross-Cultural Competency: Experience working effectively across diverse cultural and geographical contexts

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified applicants are invited to send in their updated CV giving comprehensive details of educational background, work experience, and related achievements to [email protected]. Please state “Job Application – Chief Innovation & Operations Officer” in your email subject line.

**RSPO is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.