JOB SUMMARYThe Sr Director of Operational Excellence leads the company's continuous improvement strategy across all manufacturing sites. This role will build the process, capabilities, tools, and governance necessary to create a consistent and sustainable approach to continuous improvement across all factories. The Sr Director will establish a standardized manufacturing excellence framework grounded in lean principles, structured problem solving, loss elimination, standard work, and performance management.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES- Lead the CI change effort. Develop and lead the company's Continuous Improvement strategy and roadmap across all factories.
- Establish a common CI methodology, tools, governance, terminology, and expectations across the manufacturing network.
- Establish common standards for Lean practices, structured problem solving, daily management, standard work, and performance improvement.
- Establish and advance Lean manufacturing practices including standard work, Kaizen, 5S, value-stream mapping, visual management, root-cause analysis, waste elimination, centerlining, and structured problem solving.
- Develop CI training, tools, playbooks and learning programs.
- Develop a network of plant-level Continuous Improvement champions to accelerate adoption and share knowledge.
- Manage performance. Work with the Plant Leadership Team to track plant targets and KPIs regularly and set action plans and follow-up meetings to close gaps.
- Own KPI visibility. Manage the daily, weekly, and monthly KPI charting and posting process to keep teams accountable.
- Simplify data. Use Power BI and SAP to turn complex operational data into clear, usable information for plant and operations leaders.
- Apply analytics. Use statistics and other analytical methods to identify improvement opportunities and support decisions.
- Track savings. Implement and manage a cost savings tracking process aligned with corporate standards and deliver against savings targets.
- Partner on safety. Partner with the Safety Director to embed safety into improvement work, including incident investigation, hazard reduction, and safety considerations in kaizen events.
- Perform other duties as assigned
QualificationsRequired- Bachelor's degree in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, business, engineering, food science, or related field, or equivalent experience in continuous improvement.
- 7 to 10 years experience in a manufacturing environment, including a leadership role.
- 5+ years in influencing roles, such as CI, Lean, or support functions.
- Experience or education in statistical process control, root cause analysis, or other analytical methods.
- Training and hands-on experience with value stream mapping, kaizen methods, 5S, leader standard work, and other Lean tools.
- Project management experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver on timelines, budgets, and goals.
- Experience developing or implementing a playbook for a management operating system (MOS) and a continuous improvement program, including how the playbook was rolled out across sites.
Preferred- Experience with SAP and Power BI for operational reporting.
- Experience in food or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
- Experience with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), with at least working exposure to its Autonomous Maintenance (AM) and Planned Maintenance (PM) pillars.
Skill and Competencies- Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence leaders at every level.
- Diplomacy in communicating needs and recommendations, with credibility that earns trust across functions.
- A proactive style that drives projects to completion despite obstacles.
- A collaborative team approach in all situations.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and workstreams at once.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Additional InformationThe salary range for this role is $195,000 - 225,000 annually
Link Snacks provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.
