Sr Director Global Manufacturing Excellence

About the role

The Senior Director, Manufacturing Excellence is a critical enterprise leader responsible for defining and driving Lamb Weston’s global operational excellence strategy across all manufacturing facilities. As a senior member of the Global Manufacturing leadership team, this role will accelerate the transformation to world-class manufacturing by embedding a high-performance operating system, strengthening organizational capability, and delivering sustained value across safety, quality, service, cost, and productivity.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year global Manufacturing Excellence strategy aligned to enterprise priorities and financial objectives.
• Lead the evolution, deployment, and sustainment of LW Excellence as the company’s integrated operating system.
• Drive enterprise-wide transformation initiatives that improve operational performance, capability, and culture across manufacturing and supply chain.
• Establish and govern standardized processes, metrics, and management systems to ensure consistent performance across all sites.
• Lead the identification, prioritization, and execution of high-impact improvement initiatives across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and asset utilization.
• Embed continuous improvement into daily operations through Lean, TPM, Six Sigma, and integrated work systems.
• Build and lead a high-performing Manufacturing Excellence team with global reach.
• Coach and develop plant leadership teams to drive ownership, accountability, and engagement at all levels.
• Strengthen enterprise capability through training, talent development, and implementation of high-performance work systems.
• Lead large-scale change efforts, ensuring adoption, sustainment, and cultural alignment.
• Establish governance frameworks to track progress, measure value realization, and ensure accountability.
• Influence senior stakeholders to align priorities, remove barriers, and accelerate execution.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and HR to align strategies and drive business outcomes and deliver results at scale.
• Ensure operational excellence initiatives are fully integrated with business planning, capital allocation, and P&L performance.
• Leverage data and advanced analytics to identify performance gaps and drive decision-making.
• Benchmark internally and externally to establish best-in-class standards and practices.
• Continuously refine the operating model to improve effectiveness, scalability, and impact.

Qualifications

• Education/ Certifications: Bachelor’s Degree required, a degree in Engineering or related field preferred.
• Skills And Experience: 12+ years of progressive leadership in manufacturing, operations, or operational excellence; Proven success leading large-scale, multi-site transformation initiatives in complex environments and embed lasting behavioral change; Deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, TPM with practical application experience; Strong track record of delivering measurable business results (productivity, cost, service, quality, safety); Experience building organizational capability and leading cultural transformation; Experience building team capability and developing high performing teams; Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and drive alignment across a matrixed organization; Experience managing external partners/consultants to deliver large-scale initiatives; Deep understanding of manufacturing systems, supply chain, and business drivers; Strong executive presence with the ability to challenge and align senior leaders.

Benefits

Coupled with our compensation and bonus incentive programs, our benefits deliver rewards that are market competitive. Some of the most attractive elements of our benefit programs include: Health Insurance Benefits - Medical, Dental, Vision; Flexible Spending Accounts for Health and Dependent Care, and Health Reimbursement Accounts; Well-being programs including companywide events and a wellness incentive program; Paid Time Off; Financial Wellness – Industry leading 401(k) plan with generous company contributions, Financial Planning Services, Employee Stock purchase program, and Health Savings Accounts; Life and Accident insurance; Family-Friendly Employee events; Employee Assistance Program services – mental health and other concierge type services. Benefits may vary based on location, job role/level, job status, and/or the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Pay and Schedule

Industry-Competitive Benefits. Anticipated Close Date: 07/06/2026. Pay Rate or Range: $164,470.00 - $246,710.00. Equal Opportunity Employer. Lamb Weston is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.