Operational Excellence; OPEX Expert Details | Group

About the Voith Group

The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has around 22,000 employees, sales of € 5,2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.

Voith Paper is Hiring For:

Operational Excellence (OPEX) Expert

2200 North Roemer Road, Appleton, WI 54911

Voith careers

Reasons you’ll love working here:

• Flexibility with Work/Life Balance
• Competitive Compensation and Benefits Package
• 401K with generous company match
• Climate-Neutral Footprint Worldwide
• Tuition reimbursement

Summary:

The Operational Excellence Expert plays a hands-on role in improving processes, increasing productivity, and reducing waste within a manufacturing environment. This team member will lead improvement projects and collaborate closely with production teams, maintenance, quality, continuous improvement, and leadership. The focus is on practical problem-solving, empowering employees, and building sustainable improvements.

This role is essential in helping the company grow, improve efficiency, reduce cost, and stay competitive. You won’t just suggest improvements — you’ll help build, test, and implement them directly with the people who run the machines, equipment, and assembly every day.

Responsibilities:

• Evaluate current manufacturing processes to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and quality issues.
• Focus on practical improvements through small, impactful changes.
• Develop practical solutions such as improved workflow layouts, reduced setup times (SMED), visual work instructions, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Lead small to large scale and high-impact improvement projects using Lean, Kaizen, and Six Sigma tools.
• Work directly on the shop floor with operators, team leads, and maintenance to solve problems.
• Encourage shop-floor ownership of improvements rather than ‘top-down’ initiatives.
• Train and coach employees on Lean basics, 5S, problem-solving, and waste identification.
• Collect operational data (OEE, cycle time, scrap, downtime, throughput) and turn it into meaningful insights.
• Maintain and develop KPI dashboards including Digital shop floor boards (DSFM).
• Track project timelines, operational savings, and results; communicate updates in a simple and clear manner to management.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, problem-solving sessions, and 5S improvements.
• Follow up on improvement actions and verify sustained performance.

Key Success Indicators:

• Increase in productivity and throughput.
• Improved 5S adherence and overall shop floor organization.
• Reduction in scrap, rework, setup time, or changeovers.
• Number of completed improvement projects with measurable/visible results.
• Increased employee participation in improvement efforts.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Self-starter who can manage multiple improvement projects with minimal supervision.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with colleagues from different cultures and international locations (e.g., Germany), demonstrating adaptability and professionalism in cross-regional teamwork.
• Exhibits proficiency in engaging with people at every level within the organization.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and advanced data analysis.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or similar — OR equivalent hands‑on manufacturing experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent experience preferred
• 5+ years in a manufacturing or industrial environment preferred
• Strong knowledge of machining, welding, and fabrication processes in an active manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing (5S, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, SMED, Standard Work).

Physical Requirements:

• Combination of office work and frequent presence on the production floor.
• Must be able to walk, stand, bend, and observe processes.
• Occasional lifting of up to 25–30 lbs and wearing required PPE (safety shoes, glasses, ear…