Manager, Operational Excellence

Company Description:

For over 80 years, Puffer-Sweiven has set the standard in equipment and services for process control, automation, safety, and reliability. We help process-intensive facilities run more efficiently and safely by delivering quality products, technical support, and knowledgeable staff to implement the needed process solutions — with the goal of exceeding customer expectations. Our dedication brings the most advanced products and services to our customers throughout the Central and Gulf Coast regions of Texas.

Specialties:

As a local Impact Partner of Emerson, we offer a broad base of superior solutions including the top product lines for a given application. Our specialties at Puffer-Sweiven include:

• Process Control & Safety Systems
• Control Valves & Regulators
• Isolation Valves & Actuation
• Oil & Gas Automation
• Reliability Solutions & Services
• Pressure Management
• Specialty Pumps & Rotating Equipment
• Instrumentation
• Maintenance & Repair Services

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Improvement and Analysis

• Partner with leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize operational improvement opportunities aligned with business priorities.
• Conduct current-state assessments, value-stream reviews, process mapping, and structured root-cause analysis.
• Analyze operational, quality, customer, and financial data to define performance gaps and quantify business impact.
• Develop clear findings, recommendations, business cases, and prioritized improvement roadmaps for management decision.
• Maintain visibility of the improvement portfolio, including scope, status, expected benefits, risks, dependencies, and ownership.

Future-State Design and Recommendations 

• Facilitate the design of future-state processes, operating models, standard work, controls, governance, and escalation routines.
• Define recommended measures, baselines, targets, data ownership, management-review cadence, and response requirements.
• Create practical accountability frameworks that identify the accountable business owner and responsible operational roles.
• Identify people, process, technology, data, equipment, and capability requirements associated with proposed improvements.
• Present recommendations and alternatives clearly to business leaders and obtain decisions on scope, priority, resources, and ownership.

Implementation Enablement and Transition

• Convert approved recommendations into structured, business-owned implementation plans with actions, owners, milestones, measures, risks, and decision points.
• Facilitate workshops, Kaizen events, problem-solving sessions, pilot reviews, and implementation governance meetings.
• Coach designated business implementation leaders and cross-functional teams in structured problem solving, process control, and benefits management.
• Monitor implementation progress, identify risks, challenge delays, and escalate unresolved barriers through the agreed governance process. 
• Provide time-bound transition support and verify that ownership, controls, capability, measures, and management routines are in place before handoff.
• Avoid assuming permanent responsibility for operating the improved process or executing actions assigned to the business.

Capability Development and Sustainment

• Develop Operational Excellence capability through coaching, training, and hands-on application of Lean and structured problem-solving methods.
• Coach leaders, managers, supervisors, project leads, and internal improvement champions.
• Partner with business leaders to define competency requirements and appropriate development plans.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews and control-effectiveness checks to identify regression risks and recommend corrective action.
• Confirm benefit measures with Finance and provide independent visibility of benefit realization and sustainment.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Corporate Quality to integrate quality assurance and continuous improvement into operating processes.
• Support significant root-cause investigations, corrective-action systems, process audits, and Quality Committee activities.
• Promote quality at source, defect prevention, reliable handoffs, and prevention of incomplete work moving downstream.
• Ensure improvement recommendations align with applicable quality-system, customer, regulatory, and business requirements.

Team Leadership and Process Improvement Facilitation

• Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, workload prioritization, and performance management for assigned Process Improvement Specialists.
• Deploy Process Improvement Specialists as internal facilitators to support assessments, process mapping, root-cause analysis, Kaizen events, implementation planning, and sustainment reviews.
• Set clear project objectives, deliverables, decision rights, and boundaries for each assignment while maintaining accountability with the appropriate business owner.
• Develop the team's capability in Lean methods, structured problem solving, facilitation, change leadership, data analysis, and benefits verification.
• Review the quality and consistency of team outputs and ensure improvement work follows the Operational Excellence governance approach.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Knowledge/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business, Quality, or a related field.
• At least seven years of progressive experience in operational excellence, industrial or service operations, manufacturing, quality, or business improvement.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives from diagnosis and recommendation through business-led implementation and transition.
• Working knowledge of Lean methods, structured problem solving, root-cause analysis, process management, and change leadership.
• Strong analytical, project-management, facilitation, stakeholder-management, financial, and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret operating and financial data and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, coaching, or developing improvement professionals or project facilitators.
• Ability to travel to company operating locations as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or comparable Operational Excellence qualification.
• ASQ, Project Management Professional, or comparable quality or project leadership certification.
• Experience in industrial service, manufacturing, valve and automation, rotating equipment, reliability, or energy markets.
• Experience with ERP-enabled workflows, operational dashboards, and cross-functional business improvement.
• Familiarity with many Lean concepts and training vehicles like Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), Cause and Effect Diagrams with the Addition of Cards (CEDAC) and One Piece Flow.

COMPETENCIES

• Business and operational analysis
• Structured problem solving and systems thinking
• Facilitation and influence without direct authority
• Clear written and executive communication
• Project governance and benefits discipline
• Coaching and capability development
• People leadership, delegation, and team development
• Accountability, judgment, and disciplined follow-through