About the opportunityAt QIAGEN, our vision is to make improvements in life possible. As Manager, Operational Excellence, you will play a pivotal role in driving the transformation of manufacturing operations across our North American facilities. Acting as a strategic partner to site leadership and reporting directly to the VP Operations NA, you will develop and execute Lean strategies that improve safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, and overall operational performance.
We are looking for a hands-on lean practitioner who can influence at all levels of the organization, lead change in a dynamic manufacturing environment, and create sustainable operational excellence through the application of Toyota production system principles, lean methodologies, and continuous improvement tools. You will collaborate with global Operational Excellence leaders across Europe and Asia to align and advance QIAGEN's continuous improvement journey worldwide.
Your tasks include- Develop and implement lean manufacturing strategies across site operations to achieve business objectives related to safety, quality, profitability, waste reduction, and operational excellence.
- Lead, mentor, and train employees and leaders at all organizational levels in Lean principles, methodologies, and continuous improvement practices.
- Plan and facilitate lean transformation initiatives, Kaizen events, value stream improvements, and operational excellence programs focused on SQDIP performance metrics.
- Establish and sustain a culture of continuous improvement through effective implementation of lean management systems, including 6S, Tier Boards, KPI management, and visual performance tracking.
- Analyze complex operational and performance data to identify root causes, uncover improvement opportunities, and drive evidence-based decision-making.
- Partner with cross-functional leaders and process owners to deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery performance, inventory management, and productivity.
- Act as a key change agent by communicating transformation initiatives, fostering employee engagement, and ensuring successful adoption of new processes and ways of working.
Your profile- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Biological Sciences, or a related discipline; Engineering degrees are preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in manufacturing or production management, including at least 3 years applying Lean methodologies and coaching others.
- Demonstrated experience leading Lean transformations and driving measurable operational improvements in a manufacturing environment.
- Lean and/or Six Sigma certification with strong expertise in tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 6S, Kanban, Pull Systems, Poka-Yoke, PDCA, Root Cause Analysis, Hoshin Kanri, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
- Proven leadership style with strong influencing, coaching, stakeholder management, and change management capabilities.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets and translate findings into actionable business improvements.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with MS Project, MS Access, and Power BI is advantageous.
The estimated base salary range for this position is $110,000-$135,000. Compensation will be based on the candidate's experience, skills, geographic location, and other job-related factors. In addition to base salary, we offer a total compensation package that includes a commission plan, annual bonus, and generous benefits.
What we offer - Internal Academy (QIALearn)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Hybrid work (conditional to your role)
