A Brief Overview The Operational Excellence Manager leads and supports the plant team in driving operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing. This role is responsible for identifying and eliminating barriers to process efficiency, implementing cost reduction improvement projects, and developing a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. With a focus on data-driven decision-making and employee engagement, the CI Manager ensures alignment with organizational goals to enhance safety, quality, delivery, and cost effectiveness. An ideal candidate for this role will have experience developing and implementing lean systems, including; Hoshin Kanri, Kaizen facilitation, tiered meeting structure (MDI), root cause analysis and problem solving, as well as experience training and coaching site leaders on lean tools. This role works directly with the site management team as well as with the corporate Operational Excellence team. What you will do • Lead and facilitate improvement teams across the plant, utilizing processes such as MDI, Value Stream Mapping, Process Flow Mapping, PFMEA, and Kaizen. Develop and maintain scorecards (Hoshin) to track project activities, progress, and cost reductions. Train team on Lean tools such as 5S, SMED, TPM, Visual Boards, SQDC, Tier meetings. • Own and drive the successful development and execution of Lean Manufacturing projects from the annual VSM cycle that is aligned with site goals and priorities (Hoshin). • Train, implement and facilitate Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI) process. Educate team members on Lean tools and processes, ensuring engagement and alignment across all levels of the organization. Validate via participation and auditing of site Tier 1-4 meeting processes. Mentor SME's on lean tools and improvement opportunities. • Analyze and communicate business data to leadership, identifying trends and areas for improvement. Monitor and proactively address KPIs to prevent substandard outputs and ensure customer satisfaction. • Share best practices across sites and document all improvement projects systematically for knowledge transfer. Work closely with finance to validate project values and impact. Education Qualifications • Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management or Engineering, preferably Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering. (Required) Experience Qualifications • 4-6 years in plant leadership, with at least five years in a position responsible for driving Lean Manufacturing initiatives in complex manufacturing facilities. (Preferred) Skills and Abilities • Formal Lean Training from an "academy" organization - either through direct consulting experience (i.e. Shingijutsu, TBM) or via organizations with deep, well established lean operating systems (Toyota, Danaher, etc.) (High proficiency) • Project management principles and execution strategies. (High proficiency) • Analytical and problem-solving skills. (High proficiency) • Exceptional facilitation, communication, and leadership abilities. (High proficiency) • Ability to influence and motivate teams across all organizational levels. (High proficiency) Licenses and Certifications • Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Singijutsu, AME, Lean Six Sigma Institute, or comparable (Preferred) or • Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (Preferred)