Operational Excellence Director

About the role

This role is responsible for driving continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and fostering a culture of innovation across Viant. It reports into a central Center of Excellence and works within the Advanced Metal Solutions business unit and across all related functions to lead Operational Excellence and continuous improvement activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Operational Excellence initiatives across a multi-site manufacturing network, partnering with site leadership to identify, prioritize, and execute transformational improvement opportunities.
• Identify and deliver a multi-year roadmap of savings to achieve annual savings targets.
• Work with business unit and functional leaders to identify and implement operational improvements including OEE, tiered daily management, and leader standard work.
• Facilitate kaizens spanning multiple sites, functions, and programs to deliver transformational business results including technology adoption and culture change.
• Develop and upskill all individuals in the OpEx network, ranging from individual coaching to identifying and facilitating enterprise-wide trainings through external training partners.
• Influence OpEx at all levels within the organization, driving adoption of best practices and continuous improvement.
• Develop Operational Excellence capability throughout the network through coaching, mentoring, and capability-building initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field required. Master’s degree and/or relevant certifications preferred.
• Industry & Functional Experience: 8+ years of experience in Operational Excellence, process improvement, or operations leadership, preferably within a manufacturing or highly regulated environment. Experience in highly regulated manufacturing environments required; medical device experience preferred. Candidates from aerospace, defense, automotive, or similar regulated industries will also be considered. Preferred experience with metals manufacturing processes, including machining, turning, drawing, sheet metal fabrication, and automation-driven production environments. Proven track record of leading large-scale change management, transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives. Experience leading enterprise-wide transformation initiatives beyond traditional Lean deployment. Demonstrated experience implementing automation, standard work, and technology-based solutions in operational environments.
• Operational Excellence Expertise: Trainer-level competency in Lean, Six Sigma, or similar problem-solving methodologies, with demonstrated enterprise-level execution experience. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills, including proficiency in data analysis and performance metrics.
• Leadership & Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with strong active listening and interpretation abilities. Proven ability to influence, align, and build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

Benefits

• New employees are eligible for the following benefits effective date of hire!
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Company-paid life insurance and disability benefits
• Generous Paid time off and 10 paid Holidays
• 401k Plan with Company Match
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Voluntary Universal Life and Long-Term Care
• Voluntary Legal Plan
• Pet Insurance
• Home Ownership Program