Lean Operational Excellence Process Manager
Responsibilities
- Lead complex cross-functional projects from charter development through implementation and control.
- Develop clear project scope, objectives, milestones, timelines, deliverables, and success metrics.
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring alignment to business priorities.
- Drive accountability across project teams, functional leaders, and stakeholders.
- Maintain project dashboards, action registers, risk logs, and executive-level status updates.
- Escalate risks, roadblocks, resource constraints, and decision points with urgency.
- Apply Lean, Six Sigma, DMAIC, Kaizen principles utilizing tools including but not limited to 5S, value stream mapping, standard work, root cause analysis, and problem-solving tools etc.
- Facilitate improvement events focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, inventory, and flow.
- Identify waste, variation, process constraints, and non-value-added activity across manufacturing operations.
- Build sustainable countermeasures that include process controls, ownership, training, and follow-up cadence.
- Train and coach teams on structured problem solving and continuous improvement behaviors.
- Develop training material to support employee development.
- Support development of a culture of operational excellence and accountability.
- Partner with plant operations, quality, engineering, materials, maintenance, finance, and safety teams.
- Analyze production data, defect trends, process capability, downtime, labor efficiency, and cost performance.
- Standardize and document SOP’s and best practices across facilities and functions.
- Ensure improvements are practical for the shop floor and understood by operators, supervisors, and plant leaders.
- Quantify project benefits, including cost savings, productivity gains, quality improvements, working capital reduction, and capacity improvement.
- Partner with finance to validate project savings and return on investment.
- Track benefits realization after implementation.
- Ensure project work supports broader business objectives and operational priorities.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in related discipline preferred (e.g., engineering, quality, management, or business)
- Experience: 5+ years of experience leading projects in a manufacturing, industrial, operations, or supply chain environment.
- Skills: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required. Demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement projects with measurable business impact. Strong understanding of Lean manufacturing principles, waste elimination, root cause analysis, and process control. Experience managing cross-functional teams and influencing leaders without direct reporting authority. Strong analytical skills with ability to use data to define problems and validate results. Proficiency with project management tools, Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization tools. High ownership and accountability. Strong facilitation and communication skills. Ability to engage and motivate across functions and levels of the organization.
- Physical/Mental Requirements: Office and plant environment. Keyboarding, lifting, standing, bending, walking. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
About Great Dane
Great Dane has established itself as a transportation solutions leader of today – delivering innovative products and exceptional services that help our customers and employees succeed. We not only engineer durable and high-quality trailers and truck bodies; we foster relationships that last a lifetime.
Why Work For Us?
Great Dane is a leading manufacturer of dry-freight vans, refrigerated trailers, and flatbeds with 10 manufacturing facilities and 20 service centers throughout the United States. With a legacy like ours comes a dedication to the hard-working individuals that make Great Dane what it is today. Our jobs are waiting to be filled by driven, challenge-focused & enthusiastic people like you. Our culture is comprised of “Champions” and offers a rewarding workplace rooted in core values of safety, leadership, integrity, quality, and passion. Every employee has opportunities to learn, grow, succeed and be engaged in a collaborative environment.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation
- Benefits, including but not limited to dental, vision, and medical with employer contributions
- Retirement programs, including a Pension Plan and 401(k) Plan with employer match
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid holidays and vacation
- And more!