Operational Excellence Manager

WHY DO WE NEED YOU?

The Operational Excellence Manager is responsible for leading and driving continuous improvement initiatives across the plant to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and overall operational performance. Reporting directly to the Plant Manager and serving as a key member of the plant leadership team, this role partners with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and EHS leaders to implement and sustain World Class Manufacturing (WCM) and Operational Excellence methodologies.

The Operational Excellence Manager identifies and eliminates operational losses, leads root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives, facilitates Kaizen events, and drives the achievement of Net Manufacturing Savings (NMS) objectives. This position provides coaching, training, and functional leadership to pillar teams and cross-functional improvement groups, helping to build organizational capability and a culture of continuous improvement.

Additionally, the role is responsible for developing and maintaining the plant's Operational Excellence roadmap, monitoring key performance indicators, analyzing operational data, and ensuring the sustainability of improvement initiatives through standardization, accountability, and ongoing performance reviews. Success in this position requires strong leadership, project management, change management, and problem-solving skills to deliver measurable business results and support the achievement of plant and company objectives.

This position supports Operational Excellence initiatives across multiple manufacturing facilities and collaborates closely with plant leadership and corporate Operational Excellence resources to drive sustainable operational improvements and long-term business success.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field required;
  Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing experience with a proven track record of improving operational performance, productivity, and business results.
• At least 3 years of experience leading Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or World Class Manufacturing (WCM) initiatives.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification required;
  Black Belt, Lean Manufacturing, WCM, or PMP certifications are preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), loss elimination, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to identify operational losses, analyze performance data, develop KPIs, and implement sustainable solutions that deliver measurable results.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and driving change across Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, and EHS functions.
• Proven ability to influence, coach, and develop teams without direct supervisory authority while fostering accountability and engagement.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills with the ability to engage employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams; experience with ERP systems and Power BI is a plus
• Passion for continuous improvement, operational excellence, employee development, and delivering sustainable business results.

• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Experience implementing and sustaining World Class Manufacturing (WCM) pillar activities and operational excellence programs.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change and continuous improvement culture transformation initiatives.

At Saint-Gobain/Certain Teed, our employees have pride in belonging to an organization whose culture is made up of these core values:
Trust, Empowerment, & Collaboration. Our company encourages diversity and…