Senior Manager, Operational Excellence

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity? At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life‑changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.

Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world‑changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

The Operational Excellence Senior Manager is a key leader and partner to all functions  this role, you will partner with the leadership team and their functions to drive transformations in support of our company strategy, deploy our Operational Excellence business systems and build self‑sustaining capabilities. You thrive on solving complex problems, navigating across various disciplines and functions, and empowering, inspiring, and mentoring others to make their work easier and drive improvements with significant business value.

• Partner with senior leaders in Lean/Operational Excellence system deployment.
• Support design and deployment of Operational Excellence program elements, as well as ongoing development of program/systems already in use.
• Establish and maintain Illumina Operational Excellence program standards, playbooks and toolkits to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Develop and cascade Operational Excellence communication and sharing through the network.
• May lead complex improvement projects in Quality, Productivity, and Cost savings.
• Conduct training in continuous improvement methodologies.
• Facilitate business process management and support continuous improvement teams.
• Develop area‑specific roadmaps and monitor goals and KPIs.
• Oversee the Operational Excellence Project Portfolio and chair the Steering committee.

• Bachelor's Degree in a technical/quantitative field (PhD/MBA/MS preferred).
• 12 years of experience in a technical environment.
• 7 years in business process transformation/Operational Excellence deployment strongly preferred.
• 7 years of Operational Excellence program management experience strongly preferred.
• Preferred: experience in a regulated healthcare environment.
• Preferred: AI and RPA automation experience or process mining experience.
• Strong project management skills and adaptability to a fast‑paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience in driving continuous improvement culture and operating system across an enterprise and ability to navigate and influence across all levels of an organization, translating strategic vision into tangible outcomes.
• Lean Six Sigma or Master Blackbelt certification.
• Consistent track record of collaboration, including the ability to work with cross‑functional teams and across complex ecosystems.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills (including articulating vision, inspiring teams, and presenting to senior executives).
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and networking skills required.

The estimated base salary range for the Senior Manager, Operational Excellence role based in the United States of America is: $138,800 - $208,200. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package.

We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.