Operational Excellence Manager

$110000 - $140000 per year | San Leandro, CA | On-site | Permanent

Founded nearly a decade ago and with a manufacturing operation based in San Leandro, CA, alongside other locations including Downey and Los Angeles, we are a beverage manufacturer and distributor serving customers across the West Coast and Midwest. We produce and deliver recognized beverage brands to retailers, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other businesses. Our operations emphasize employee safety, product quality, and continuous improvement, offering opportunities to make a measurable impact on plant performance.

• Comprehensive Benefits:
  Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) With Company Match
• Paid Time Off
• Education Reimbursement
• Relocation Available:
  Candidates open to relocating to San Leandro are welcome.
• Plant-Level Impact:
  Own improvement initiatives tied to manufacturing performance and financial results.
• Technical Leadership:
  Coach employees and mentor developing staff without direct reports.
• Professional Exposure:
  Present to senior leadership and participate in industry conferences and cross-plant training.
• Work arrangement:
  Fully onsite with up to 20% travel, including conferences and support/training at the Los Angeles plant. No sponsorship available. Senior-level title and compensation may be considered based on experience.

• Develop and implement plant-level continuous improvement initiatives that improve operational performance.
• Build and deploy Operational Excellence tools and systems to support sustainable manufacturing improvements.
• Analyze process information and financial reports to identify losses, assess manufacturing performance, and prioritize opportunities.
• Provide expertise and training in TPM, Lean, Six Sigma, and other structured improvement methods.
• Work directly with frontline employees to implement practical improvements and sustain results.
• Lead improvement projects from initial assessment and pilot implementation through broader rollout.
• Establish project objectives, track progress, and communicate results against plant and organizational KPIs.
• Collaborate across functional departments to secure support for the continuous improvement strategy.
• Present project recommendations, performance data, and results to senior leadership.
• Coach and mentor employees, including less-experienced staff, without direct-report authority.
• Travel up to 20% for industry conferences, training, and support of the Los Angeles plant.
• Perform other assigned duties.

• Bachelor’s degree with at least six years of related experience, or a high school diploma/GED with at least nine years of relevant experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or higher required;
  Black Belt preferred, per your recruiting brief.
• Engineering background strongly desired; master’s degree preferred.
• Manufacturing experience required, ideally in high-speed beverage production or bottling.
• Food, CPG, personal care, or paper manufacturing backgrounds may also be considered.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and structured continuous improvement methods.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing process data and financial reports to identify improvement opportunities.
• Demonstrated project ownership with measurable improvements against plant or organizational KPIs.
• Ability to lead pilots and implement sustainable improvements with frontline manufacturing teams.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership.
• Proven ability to influence across departments and…