Operational Excellence Manager

Position Summary

The Plant OpEx Manager will accelerate operational excellence change efforts at the production plant by leading organizational/leadership development processes, promoting employee engagement, and driving quality and productivity improvements. As part of the Plant Leadership Team, the OpEx Manager will provide coaching to the team and other individuals regarding organizational effectiveness, operational improvements, continuous improvement methodology, and execution of best practices.

Major Duties And Responsibilities

• Implement strategy and guide advancement of operational excellence at the plant.
• Collaborate with the Production, Quality, Finance, Maintenance, Engineering Managers and others at the location to understand site business priorities/goals and use this knowledge to prioritize Continuous Improvement activity at the production location.
• Consult on Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen methodology leaders to identify best practices and to simplify and standardize work to deliver improved performance.
• Review site practices to identify opportunities and advise on appropriate organizational interventions, such as training, coaching, etc., for improving site systems and practices to achieve desired outcomes.
• Build a coaching culture and provide individual coaching to site and above-site leadership throughout the change and transformation process.
• Guide locations in determining the priorities for process improvements that impact production and business results and champion waste elimination and reduction.
• Oversee and directly supervise assigned plant continuous improvement resources.
• Lead improvement projects utilizing standardized Lean Six Sigma tools and methods to improve plant performance and achieve results for operations customers.
• Follow all food safety policies, procedures, and regulatory criteria including the current SQF code, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HACCP, and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and associated preventive controls.

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management required.
• 5+ years of experience in Engineering, Business, Operations Management.
• Experience in a food manufacturing environment preferred.

Knowledge And Skills

• Professional certifications and experience especially helpful in the field of Autonomous Maintenance, Training Development, Organizational Development, Coaching, Lean and Change Management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and implement organizational and cultural change and deliver results.
• Results-oriented with the ability to gather, analyze, and interpret information from a variety of sources.
• Recognized role model in key leadership development skills of feedback, coaching, listening, empowerment, and difficult conversations.
• Demonstrated conflict resolution and solution-focused problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills which include building rapport and maintaining strong relationships across all levels, sensitivity to individual and team needs, collaborating effectively to accomplish work, effective facilitation, and teaching skills.
• Project management capability with effective time management skills and ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities.
• Knowledge and strong working competence in Microsoft Office (Excel & PowerPoint).