Director of Operations Excellence

Job Summary

Director of Operations Excellence - USA for thyssenkrupp Online Metals, LLC, in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

• Travel domestically 20% of the time.
• Collaborate with plant managers and operations employees to improve current process efficiency, material flow, labor productivity, quality, safety, and space utilization.
• Measure and monitor performance to identify customer service and competitive weaknesses.
• Develop solutions using improvement and analysis methods, including strategic planning, operations research, Value Stream Mapping, Lean Thinking, Six Sigma, facility and work cell design, product slotting, IT systems integration, benchmarking, and financial analysis.
• Recommend expenditures, specify equipment, source vendors, and support contracting for capital projects.
• Document processes and practices and ensure integration systems and equipment.
• Manage multiple projects and improvement initiatives across multiple facilities, tracking status and results.
• Lead meetings with plant personnel to understand current processes and challenges, encourage input, jointly develop solution options, provide training, and manage change.
• Share best practice documentation, tools, and key learning, and develop team members.
• Work from home one day per week.

• Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field, or foreign equivalent with 3 years of experience in an Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quality Engineering, or Engineering Leadership role; or Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in the same area.
• 3+ years of experience leading Operational Excellence initiatives by applying Lean methodologies, including Kaizen facilitation, Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs), and continuous flow deployment.
• Experience designing, implementing, and sustaining Standard Work and Leader Standard Work supported by 5S, visual management systems, and tiered accountability.
• Experience optimizing pull systems using Kanban, takt time analysis, and WIP controls to improve flow and meet customer demand.
• Ability to drive structured problem solving through A3 thinking, PDCA cycles, and root cause analysis methods (5 Whys, Ishikawa) to eliminate recurring issues.
• Data driven decision making skills, including process capability analysis, bottleneck analysis, SMED, and throughput optimization.
• Experience embedding quality at the source by implementing poka-yoke and error-proofing techniques within production and quality management systems.

$151,466 to $165,183 per year.

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Voluntary Wellness Programs
• 401(k) or RRSP programs with Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• And more!

Benefits may vary based on job, country, union role, and/or company segment. Please work with your recruiter for applicable benefits information.

Equal opportunity employer, including people with disabilities and veterans. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. For assistance completing the application or the application process or requesting accommodation information, contact reasonablea

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