Valvoline Inc.

Director, Quality & Operational Excellence

Valvoline Inc.$125K — $150K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality Management, or related field required; Advanced degree preferred.
  • 10-15 years in quality, manufacturing, supply chain, or operations leadership with global experience.
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or Master Black Belt certification is mandatory.
  • Ability to convey data insights for strategic decision-making and action plans.
  • Experience in building dashboards and management review processes; understanding of digital and data requirements.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and govern the Global Quality OGSM and accountability structures for quality execution.
  • Establish the Quality measurement system, including performance scorecards and TRACC assessments.
  • Lead Operational Excellence strategy implementation using Lean Six Sigma and best practices to drive improvements.
  • Partner with IT and engineering teams to define Quality requirements for digital tools and analytics.
  • Oversee global supplier and third-party quality governance and performance accountability.
  • Collaborate with manufacturing and R&D to enhance quality performance and operational practices.
  • Ensure audit readiness and translate findings into sustainable corrective actions.

Benefits

  • Health insurance plans (medical, dental, vision)
  • Health Savings Account with employer contribution
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Generous 401(k) with employer match
  • Paid vacation and holidays
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Tuition reimbursement and adoption assistance (terms apply)
Full Job Description
How You'll Make an Impact

The Director, Quality & Operational Excellence leads the global strategy, governance, operating rhythm, and capability development for Quality and Operational Excellence within the Supply Chain Center of Excellence. This role provides enterprise leadership across Global Quality, Third-Party Quality, Quality Systems, Operational Excellence, TRACC deployment, Lean Six Sigma / A3 methodology, KPI governance, and quality performance visibility. The position partners with regional supply chain leaders, plant managers, quality leaders, the Planning COE, Engineering, R&D / Technical, IT, Procurement, and Operations to improve quality execution, reduce risk, strengthen global standardization, and drive measurable performance improvement. This role provides global standards, governance, visibility, capability-building, and improvement systems while regional and site teams retain accountability for daily quality and operational execution.

Responsibilities Include
  • Develop and govern the Global Quality OGSM, operating model, leadership cadence, regional interfaces, escalation paths, and accountability expectations. Ensure Global Quality supports the VGO Quality Policy of Customer First, High Quality, and Continuous Improvement through clear standards, governance, visibility, and capability support.
  • Establish and maintain the Quality measurement system, including site / regional performance scorecards, Global Quality OGSM execution scorecards, and TRACC maturity assessments. Standardize KPI definitions, ownership, targets, reporting cadence, and leadership review routines.
  • Lead Operational Excellence strategy through TRACC, Lean Six Sigma, A3 methodology, best practice networks, Gemba routines, and maturity assessments. Ensure OpEx supports Quality and Operations by converting gaps into structured improvement actions and sustainable process improvements.
  • Provide business leadership for GQMS, GQIA, vLIMS visibility, Power BI scorecards, dashboards, and workflow tools. Partner with IT, Engineering, Data Analytics, and Systems teams to define Quality business requirements for digital, data, AI, reporting, and system capabilities.
  • Lead global supplier and third-party quality governance through TPRP, supplier quality performance, SCAR governance, supplier accountability, leaker review, QAVs, and customer / OEM requirement alignment.
  • Partner with Technical / R&D, Operations, Plant Quality, OpEx, and Engineering to improve manufacturing quality performance. Support Blend First Pass, site recipe feedback, lab / plant data visibility, formulation feedback loops, deviation learning, and best practice replication.
  • Provide leadership for global quality audit readiness, including ISO 9001, IATF 16949, customer audits, supplier audits, internal reviews, and QMS observation programs. Ensure audit findings are translated into sustainable corrective actions and governance improvements.
  • Lead and develop direct reports across Global Quality, Third-Party Quality, Quality Systems, and Operational Excellence. Build alignment across regional quality leaders, site teams, Operations, Planning COE, Engineering, R&D, IT, Procurement, and EHS. Communicate progress, risks, and support needs through leadership reviews and COO updates.
  • Perform other responsibilities as outlined by Valvoline Global Operations, as required.


What You'll Need
  • Bachelor's degree required in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality Management, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical or business discipline.
  • Advanced degree preferred, including an MBA, master's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in quality, manufacturing, supply chain, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or operations leadership. Experience should include global or multi-region leadership; manufacturing quality systems; ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 environments; supply chain operations; Operational Excellence / Lean Six Sigma; TRACC or similar operating system deployment; supplier / third-party quality governance; quality systems, scorecards, KPI governance, plant operations support, matrix leadership, and executive communication.
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or Master Black Belt; Certified Quality Engineer; Certified Manager of Quality / Organizational Excellence; ISO 9001 Lead Auditor; IATF 16949 knowledge or certification; TRACC / Operational Excellence assessment experience; APICS / CSCP or other supply chain certification; PMP or project management certification.
  • Ability to translate data into executive-level insights, decisions, risks, and action plans.
  • Experience building dashboards, scorecards, and management review processes, including defining business requirements for digital, data, AI, and system capabilities.
  • Strong matrix leadership, communication, coaching, facilitation, executive presentation, and change-management skills.
  • Ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
  • Working Conditions / Physical Requirements: Office, laboratory, and production environments. May require working outside regular business hours to accommodate global time zones. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The role is expected to model safe behaviors, support safety-first decision-making, and reinforce quality and operational excellence practices that protect employees, customers, suppliers, and the business, in accordance with Valvoline corporate EHS policies, site safety requirements, RC14001 expectations where applicable, and local regulatory standards.
  • Travel Requirements: Up to 40% travel, including approximately 35% overnight travel.
  • Position needs to sit in Cincinnati, OH and will be 4 days in the office and one day remote.


Benefits That Drive Themselves
• Health insurance plans (medical, dental, vision)
• Health Savings Account (with employer base deposit and match)
• Flexible spending accounts• Competitive 401(k) with generous employer base deposit and match • Incentive opportunity*• Life insurance• Short and long-term disability insurance• Paid vacation and holidays*
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts
• PTO Buy/Sell Options*
• Tuition reimbursement*
• Adoption assistance*
*Terms and conditions apply, and benefits may differ depending on position or tenure

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Are You Ready to Make an Impact?

At Valvoline Global, we're looking for passionate and talented individuals to join our journey of innovation and excellence. Are you ready to shape the future with us? Apply today.

Requisition ID: 2648

About Valvoline Inc.

Valvoline Inc. is a leading producer and distributor of automotive lubricants and chemicals. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. Valvoline operates in over 140 countries and has a network of over 1,400 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations. The company's products include motor oils, transmission fluids, and gear oils, as well as other automotive chemicals. Valvoline is committed to sustainability and has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.
Learn more about Valvoline Inc.
Size
9,800 employees
Market Cap
$5.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$331 million
5 Year Trend
-9.9%
Revenue
$2.3 billion
NASDAQ

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