Operational Excellence Engineer

Salary: 100k to 140k

We are a leading Omega-3 fish oil supplement manufacturer producing softgels, liquids, and gummies at our state-of-the-art facility in Vista, California. As we continue to grow, we are committed to creating a highly efficient, quality-focused, and waste-free manufacturing
environment. We are seeking a skilled Operational Excellence Engineer to lead our lean transformation and embed continuous improvement into our culture, systems, and daily operations.

Position Summary
The Operational Excellence Engineer is responsible for leading the development, deployment, and sustainability of Lean Manufacturing principles across the plant. This role is a hands-on leader who combines Lean Six Sigma, LSS, Total Productive Maintenance, TPM,
Quality Management, Continuous Improvement, and Industrial Engineering methods to improve productivity, eliminate waste, and optimize overall plant performance. The ideal candidate will have a passion for building people and processes that drive long-term operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities
Lean & Waste Reduction Leadership:

• Develop and lead the site-wide Lean Manufacturing strategy to drive measurable improvements in productivity, quality, safety, and cost.

• Identify, prioritize, and eliminate all forms of waste in manufacturing, including:

• Defects - nonconforming product

• Overproduction - making more than is needed

• Waiting - delays between process steps, material flows, approvals, etc.

• Non-Utilized Talent - failing to engage employees full potential

• Transportation - unnecessary movement of materials or products

• Inventory - excess raw materials, work-in-progress, or finished goods

• Motion - inefficient, unnecessary movements by people or equipment

• Extra Processing - doing more work or using more resources than required

• Lead waste walks, kaizen events, and root cause analysis workshops to uncover waste and implement sustainable countermeasures.

• Develop operator work instructions and standard work for both operators & leadership.

• Deploy visual factory management systems including 5S, KPI performance tracking and other tools to indicate performance against standards at a glance.

Industrial Engineering & Productivity Optimization:

• Conduct line balancing, time studies, and workflow analysis to improve throughput and optimize labor allocation.

• Analyze resource utilization and develop staffing models based on Takt time, cycle time, and demand.

• Design and implement standard work to improve consistency and reduce process variability.

• Improve equipment changeover times using SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) techniques.

• Evaluate plant layout and material flow, recommending changes to reduce transportation and motion waste.

• Lead productivity improvement projects to address losses and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and reduce downtime.

Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving:

• Lead cross-functional problem-solving efforts and coach teams on structured Root
Cause Analysis (RCA) tools such as:

• 5 Whys

• Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams

• A3 Problem Solving

• Fault Tree Analysis

• Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)

• Drive RCCA (Root Cause and Corrective Action) processes to eliminate recurring issues and ensure sustainable solutions.

• Facilitate value stream mapping, process capability studies, and performance improvement projects.

• Implement and support structured problem-solving methodologies at all levels of the organization.

• Lead and participate in Gemba walks, audits, and tiered meetings to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Training & Culture Building:

• Deliver ongoing training and coaching to employees on Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma tools, and Total Quality Management.

• Empower frontline teams to identify inefficiencies and lead improvement initiatives.

• Establish visual dashboards and KPI tracking to monitor progress and drive accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or Productivity Engineering is a must.

• Minimum 7 years of experience in Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement roles in a food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, or regulated manufacturing environment.

• Lean…