Job Description:
Director Operational Excellence & Transformation
Strategic Program Management • Kaizen & Lean Operations • Systems & Automation
Job Title
Director, Operational Excellence & Transformation
Department
Operational Excellence Office (PMO)
Reports To
Vice President, Operational Excellence & Transformation
Direct Reports
Program Managers, Process Improvement Leads, and Business Systems Analysts, as assigned
Classification
Full-Time, Exempt
Position Summary
Reporting to the Vice President, Operational Excellence & Transformation, the Director leads a portfolio of priority initiatives and manages the day-to-day delivery of the Operational Excellence Office. The role concentrates on Operations-manufacturing, supply chain, planning, procurement, quality, logistics, and field operations-and leads cross-functional work involving Finance, Engineering, Sales, IT, HR, and other functions when processes span organizational boundaries. The Director turns strategic priorities into executable programs, builds Lean and Kaizen capability, partners on systems and automation, and delivers measurable improvements in customer experience, productivity, operating margin, working capital, and cash flow.
Key Responsibilities
Program Portfolio and Governance
• Translate VP priorities into initiative charters, integrated plans, milestones, resource needs, risks, and decisions.
• Manage portfolio reviews, stage gates, executive reporting, and escalation processes; recommend sequencing based on value, capacity, and execution risk.
• Lead program managers as we build up the team, and workstream owners to resolve dependencies and deliver commitments across functions.
Operational Excellence and Transformation
• Lead redesign and simplification of priority processes, including cross-functional handoffs, controls, and ownership.
• Deploy Lean, Kaizen, standard work, visual management, structured problem solving, and value stream improvements across selected Operations areas.
• Partner with site and functional leaders to standardize practices while accommodating justified local needs and acquired businesses.
Systems and Automation
• Set up and manage Operations Excellence portal for methodologies, documents, and training videos.
• Partner with IT and process owners to define business requirements and integrate process redesign with enterprise systems, analytics, workflow automation, and appropriate AI-enabled solutions.
• Drive adoption and effective use of Oracle and other enterprise platforms; reduce manual and spreadsheet-driven work where practical.
• Establish consistent measures and reporting for the initiatives in the assigned portfolio.
Performance and Value Realization
• Build baselines, benefit cases, milestones, and measurement plans with Finance and business owners.
• Track Finance-validated impact on productivity, cost, margin, working capital, cash flow, and service; intervene when delivery or adoption falls short.
• Develop a pipeline of improvement opportunities and ensure business owners sustain results after implementation.
Team and Change Leadership
• Work individually while building a team. Manage and coach assigned program managers, improvement leads, and analysts; strengthen project management and problem-solving capability.
• Build stakeholder alignment, communicate changes, and coordinate training and adoption plans.
• Promote accountability, collaboration, respect for people, and data-driven decisions.
Qualifications
• A minimum of 12 years of experience leading complex, cross-functional transformation or operational improvement programs in manufacturing, industrial technology, energy, or engineered products.
• Demonstrated people leadership and ability to influence functional and site leaders without direct authority.
• Practical knowledge of Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, A3, PDCA, or comparable methods.
• Experience with enterprise systems implementation, process automation, performance metrics, and change management.
• Strong financial acumen and experience quantifying and tracking operational benefits with Finance.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Finance, or a related discipline; Master's degree preferred.
Success Measures First 6 to 12 Months
• A governed portfolio of priority initiatives has clear owners, plans, milestones, risks, and a regular review cadence.
• Initial initiatives deliver Finance-validated improvements in service, productivity, margin, or working capital.
• Priority processes have documented standards and measurable adoption of Lean, Kaizen, systems, or automation improvements.
• Functional leaders use consistent performance reporting to address delivery issues and sustain gains.
Working Relationships
Works closely with the Vice President and leaders across Operations, Engineering, Finance, IT, Sales, HR, business units, and sites to deliver the assigned transformation portfolio.
Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $220,000.00-$240,000.00.
(Applicable to California)
