Operational Excellence Leader- Night Shift

Operational Excellence Leader

The Operational Excellence Leader develops frontline capability by coaching team members and leaders in Operational Excellence principles, standard work, equipment ownership, and root cause problem-solving. Operating primarily on the manufacturing floor during night shift, this role observes work practices, provides real-time feedback, and reinforces behaviors that drive safe, consistent, and reliable operations. Success is achieved by enabling teams to sustain improvements independently, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across shifts.

Principal Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

• Maintain a strong, daily presence on the manufacturing floor during night shift to observe work practices and identify coaching opportunities.
• Coach equipment technicians, maintenance resources, leads, and supervisors on Operational Excellence principles, standard work (Daily Risk Assessments), and safe operating procedures.
• Reinforce consistent execution of daily management systems, visual controls, and effective shift communication and handoff practices.
• Promote equipment ownership by guiding team members in Cleaning-to-Inspect, Defect Handling, and Breakdown Elimination activities.
• Support structured problem-solving and continuous improvement to address recurring losses and sustain improvements.
• Assist with onboarding, skill qualification, and cross-training initiatives to build workforce flexibility across the site.
• Develop and maintain One Point Lessons and other training materials to capture and transfer operational knowledge, sustaining learnings from problem solving.
• Partner with supervisors and leads to strengthen coaching effectiveness, leadership floor presence, and accountability.
• Encourage a culture of ownership, accountability, and proactive problem resolution.
• Provide feedback to leaders on team development opportunities and reinforce adherence to operational standards.

Qualifications/ education and experience requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Experience in manufacturing, maintenance, operations, or technical training.
• Proven track record of coaching, mentoring, and developing others in a work environment.
• Ability to work primarily night shift with flexibility for day shift activities and training events.
• Experience in manufacturing leadership, reliability, or continuous improvement roles.
• Familiarity with Operational Excellence, TPM, Lean, or similar systems.
• Experience developing training materials and One Point Lessons.
• Knowledge of equipment ownership practices and proactive maintenance.
• Experience in paper, tissue, converting, packaging, or continuous manufacturing operations.

Skills/ competencies requirements:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage and influence employees at all levels.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and build trust with diverse teams.
• Keen observation skills to identify coaching opportunities and operational gaps.
• Strong problem-solving capability with a structured, fact-based approach.
• Ability to reinforce safe work practices and adherence to operating standards.
• Skilled at translating operational learning into practical training materials.
• Commitment to fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Adaptability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and respond to changing priorities.

Work Environment (if applicable):

• Role is based on the manufacturing floor during static night shift operations (supports A & B crew), with occasional day shift work to support training, meetings, or business needs.
• Daily interaction with operators, technicians, team leads, and supervisors in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment.
• Exposure to industrial equipment, moving machinery, and varying noise levels; hearing protection and other PPE required.
• Environment may include temperature variations depending on production areas.
• Strong floor presence is expected, with limited time spent in an office setting.

Physical and Other Requirements (if applicable):

• Work involves standing, walking, and moving throughout the facility for extended periods.
• May require climbing stairs,…