Senior Operational Excellence Partner

Life. Unlimited. At Smith+ Nephew we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living. Join us as a Senior Operational Excellence Partner, Supply Chain Americas. This hands‑on individual contributor role requires you to live in the operation, stay close to the floor, and personally own problems, actions, and measurable results.

• Spend meaningful time in the warehouse side by side with frontline teams and site leaders, identifying waste, removing barriers, and executing improvements that raise productivity across receiving, picking, shipping, and inventory management.
• Build trust and credibility by showing up in the operation, understanding how work really gets done, coaching teams through practical problem‑solving and daily execution.
• Deploy the S&N Operating System playbooks in the field and drive adoption through hands‑on support, follow‑up, and accountability for results.
• Own assigned improvement work streams end to end—from diagnosis to implementation to sustainment—and ensure benefits are delivered and embedded in the operation.
• Partner across functions to improve financial, service, and inventory performance, taking personal ownership for moving initiatives forward even when success depends on others.
• Chase issues to the source, lead root‑cause analysis on recurring defects and process breakdowns, and drive corrective actions with urgency until problems are fully resolved.
• Observe work where it happens, then simplify, standardize, and strengthen SOPs across sites so teams can execute consistently and problems do not keep resurfacing.
• Turn strategy into clear site‑level execution by pushing priorities into action, following up relentlessly, and helping teams move from discussion to sustained operational change.
• Use data to spot issues, prioritize actions, track follow‑through, and confirm impact—while staying close enough to the floor to know when the numbers do not match reality.
• Partner with IT and site teams to implement tools and automation that improve visibility, process execution, and labor planning, while helping teams adopt new ways of working.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• Experience:
  
  5–8+ years in a fast‑paced warehouse, manufacturing, or last‑mile environment, with a track record of personally leading and executing continuous improvement initiatives from idea to sustained results. Proven experience in last‑mile operations and the medical device industry is required.
• Certifications:
  
  Lean Six Sigma certification, or equivalent.
• Travel:
  Required up to 50% of the time. When not traveling, you will be expected to work on‑site at the local Supply Chain Americas warehouse.
• Technical Proficiency:
  Advanced knowledge of WMS/ERP platforms (for example, SAP and Manhattan) and data analysis tools such as Minitab, SQL, or Excel.
• Soft Skills:
  
  Highly hands‑on, action‑oriented, and resilient, with presence to work credibly on the warehouse floor; persistence to chase issues down; ability to influence cross‑functional teams and drive execution without formal authority.
• Competencies:
  
  Ability to coach, challenge, and support leaders and frontline teams; skill in root‑cause problem‑solving techniques such as DMAIC, Kaizen, PDCA, and A3 problem solving; ability to identify, prioritize, and capture improvement opportunities that drive financial and operational performance through disciplined execution and a data‑driven approach.

• 401(k) Matching Program
• 401(k) Plus Program
• Discounted Stock Options
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Personal/Vacation Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Flex Holidays
• Paid Community Service Day
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Health Savings Account (Employer Contribution of $500+ annually)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Parental Leave
• Fertility and Adoption Assistance Program
• Hands‑On, Team‑Customized, Mentorship
• Discounts on fitness clubs, travel and more

Smith+ Nephew provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.