Sr. Regional Ops. Excellence Manager - North

Make a Difference in YOUR Career!

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We are solutions-based. We are innovative. We seek out new challenges and conquer them. This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too:
Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how would YOU put our drinks on every table?

Position Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, the Senior Regional Operations Excellence Manager leads the development and implementation of Operational Excellence across multiple plants. This role provides coaching on the Refresco Management System (RMS), Kaizen methodologies, and the broader Operational Excellence strategy, driving improvements in safety, first-pass quality, line productivity, yield, indirect labor, and maintenance. The manager is responsible for deploying change management initiatives, operational playbooks, and standardized software tools while enhancing talent capabilities and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

With a strong background in strategy deployment, this individual will actively teach and coach employees in Lean and Kaizen principles, including 8 Wastes, Standard Work, SMED, 5S, and Centerlining. Partnering closely with Plant Leadership, the Senior Regional Operations Excellence Manager will coordinate and execute key initiatives while collaborating with the Senior Director of Operations, Plant Managers, and North American and Global Leadership teams to drive sustainable operational improvements.

Essential Job Functions:

• Partner with leadership to develop, standardize, and implement company strategies and KPIs across your region.
• Support the development of tools and processes to implement and sustain continuous improvement initiatives and cost savings.
• Champion a Lean culture throughout your region and across the company.
• Teach and mentor employees—both CI and non-CI—in Kaizen methodology.
• Drive cultural change by developing standardized training and mentoring others in Lean tools, approaches, and techniques to foster a culture of continuous improvement while enhancing safety, quality, delivery, and cost efficiency in production and office areas.
• Serve as a liaison to share and implement best practices across the organization.
• Coach and lead cost-saving initiatives in collaboration with CI and Operations teams to improve safety, first-pass quality, direct labor, yield, and indirect labor year over year.
• Identify and lead large-scale projects to ensure successful implementation across the organization.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Identify high-potential employees, coaching and mentoring them to lead and execute improvement initiatives while supporting their career growth.
• Assist in identifying and driving cost optimization projects to enhance operational efficiency.
• Operates cross functionally to assure information flow and understanding of overall process improvement direction and expected results.
• Works closely with cross-functional team members to improve standardized dashboarding capabilities.

Required Skills:

• Multi-site experience, with a proven track record of overseeing operations across multiple locations.
• Demonstrated success in driving change, implementing sustainable improvements, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Must have at least a basic understanding of how manufacturing equipment operates and functions.
• Expertise in Lean deployment, including hands-on experience with Lean methodologies and tools.
• Project…