Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX)

Lincoln, IL

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8 days ago

Job Description

Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX)
Location: Lincoln, Illinois
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Arrangement: Onsite – Monday through Friday
The organization is seeking an experienced Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX) for its manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Illinois.
This highly visible plant leadership role will champion the organization's Continuous Improvement System (ECIS), Business System (EBS), Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies to build a strong culture of problem solving, operational discipline, and sustainable performance improvement.
The OPEX Manager will work directly with the plant leadership team to develop and execute the site's continuous improvement roadmap, strengthen daily management systems, develop employee capabilities, and accelerate business results across manufacturing operations.
The successful candidate will drive measurable improvements across:

Safety
Quality
Delivery
Cost
Productivity
Working Capital
Customer Satisfaction
Employee Engagement

This position is ideal for a hands-on continuous improvement leader who can translate business strategy into practical improvement initiatives, coach employees and leaders, and deliver sustainable operational and financial results.
Key Responsibilities
1. Operational Excellence Strategy & Deployment

Champion ECIS, EBS, Lean, and Six Sigma methodologies across the manufacturing facility.
Partner with plant leadership to develop, deploy, and sustain the site's continuous improvement strategy.
Establish governance processes and annual improvement priorities.
Translate business objectives into practical operational improvement initiatives.
Drive short- and long-term improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, working capital, and customer satisfaction.
Serve as the site expert and champion for the organization's Business System.
Connect business priorities with daily operating routines and improvement activities.

2. Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

Lead Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to eliminate waste, improve process flow, reduce variation, and strengthen operational performance.
Apply Lean tools and methodologies, including:
- Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
- 5S and workplace organization
- Continuous Flow Manufacturing
- Setup Reduction
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Error Proofing / Poka-Yoke
- Pull Systems
- Standardized Work
- Kaizen
- Rapid Improvement Events (RIE)
Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency, productivity, quality, and equipment performance.
Lead cost-out and productivity improvement projects to achieve annual savings commitments.
Establish sustainable improvement practices to maintain results over time.

3. Daily Management & Operational Discipline

Build a culture of structured problem solving and accountability.
Implement and strengthen leader standard work.
Establish daily accountability routines, visual management systems, and process checks.
Conduct Gemba walks to identify operational gaps and improvement opportunities.
Drive disciplined follow-up on corrective actions and improvement commitments.
Strengthen operating routines across manufacturing and functional departments.
Coach leaders on connecting daily operational activities with broader business objectives.

4. Operational Assessment & Performance Management

Lead Operational Assessment (OpA) preparation, execution, and follow-up.
Identify organizational and operational gaps through structured assessments.
Develop action plans to address identified gaps and sustain progress.
Analyze operational metrics and performance indicators to identify improvement opportunities.
Recommend data-driven action plans to improve performance.
Monitor implementation and strengthen accountability at the operating level.

5. Six Sigma & Structured Problem Solving

Lead and support Six Sigma improvement projects across manufacturing and functional operations.
Apply structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D and statistical analysis.
Identify root causes, validate corrective solutions, and prevent recurrence.
Reduce process variation and improve process capability.
Use data and analytical methods to measure improvement effectiveness.
Facilitate Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Events, and cross-functional problem-solving workshops.
Establish sustainable corrective and preventive action processes.

6. Leadership, Coaching & Employee Development

Coach, train, and mentor employees and leaders on Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence principles.
Develop continuous improvement capabilities across the organization.
Lead cross-functional improvement teams and facilitate collaborative problem-solving activities.
Influence employees and leaders at all organizational levels.
Support leader standard work deployment and capability-building activities.
Build employee engagement and ownership of continuous improvement initiatives.
Serve as both a strategic partner to plant leadership and a hands-on coach on the manufacturing floor.

7. Cost Reduction & Business Performance

Lead site-level cost-out and productivity initiatives.
Identify opportunities to improve labor efficiency, material utilization, equipment performance, and manufacturing processes.
Deliver annual savings commitments and support long-term financial performance.
Track improvement benefits and validate financial impact.
Partner with plant leadership and cross-functional teams to prioritize high-value initiatives.
Translate improvement opportunities into measurable business outcomes.

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, and supply chain teams.
Influence stakeholders and communicate improvement priorities effectively.
Coordinate multiple time-sensitive improvement initiatives.
Translate complex operational challenges into clear priorities and actionable plans.
Maintain momentum across improvement projects and ensure measurable results.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, or another cross-functional discipline within a manufacturing environment.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience in continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading people, projects, and cross-functional teams.
Strong understanding of Lean Management Systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.
Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including:
- Value Stream Mapping
- 5S / Workplace Organization
- Continuous Flow Manufacturing
- Setup Reduction
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Error Proofing
- Pull Systems
- Standardized Work
Proven analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
Experience applying structured problem-solving methods, including 8D and statistical analysis.
Ability to define root causes, validate solutions, and prevent recurrence.
Demonstrated ability to lead, influence, and develop cross-functional process improvement teams.
Ability to prioritize multiple time-critical tasks and maintain momentum across several improvement initiatives.
Ability to work as both a strategic partner to leadership and a hands-on coach on the manufacturing floor.
Must be able to work in the United States without requiring current or future employment immigration sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited institution.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Project management experience or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Experience or certification in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
Experience in setup reduction and structured problem solving.
Experience leading Kaizen events.
Experience implementing Lean material flow improvement initiatives.
Experience developing and deploying continuous improvement systems within manufacturing facilities.
Experience leading Operational Assessments and developing improvement roadmaps.
Demonstrated success delivering measurable cost savings and productivity improvements.

Skills & Competencies

Strong understanding of Lean Management Systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.
Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including VSM, 5S, continuous flow, setup reduction, TPM, error proofing, pull systems, and standardized work.
Strong analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving capabilities.
Ability to convert operational data into actionable improvement plans.
Ability to prioritize multiple time-critical tasks and maintain momentum across improvement initiatives.
Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to influence and develop cross-functional teams across all organizational levels.
Hands-on approach to coaching and continuous improvement on the manufacturing floor.
Knowledge of structured problem-solving methods, including 8D and statistical analysis.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced manufacturing operational excellence leader with a proven track record of implementing plant-wide continuous improvement initiatives.
The candidate should demonstrate:

Strong manufacturing operations and plant-level experience.
At least three years of direct Lean, Six Sigma, or OPEX experience.
Experience leading people, projects, and cross-functional teams.
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, VSM, 5S, TPM, Kaizen, and setup reduction.
Experience implementing daily management systems, visual management, and leader standard work.
Experience conducting Gemba walks and operational assessments.
Strong root cause analysis and structured problem-solving capabilities.
Proven success delivering measurable cost savings, productivity improvements, and operational performance results.
Ability to influence plant leadership and coach employees at all levels.
Willingness to relocate to Lincoln, Illinois, if not currently local, and work onsite Monday through Friday.

Numbers & Facts

Location

Lincoln, IL

Skills

8Dunmatched
Analysis Skillsunmatched
Business Performance Managementunmatched
Business Solutionsunmatched
Business Strategyunmatched
Channel Strategiesunmatched
Check Processingunmatched
Coachingunmatched
Communication Skillsunmatched
Continuous Improvementunmatched
Corrective Actionunmatched
Cost Controlunmatched
Cross-Functionalunmatched
Customer Satisfactionunmatched
Data Analysisunmatched
Establish Prioritiesunmatched
Green Businessunmatched
Leadershipunmatched
Lean Manufacturingunmatched
Lean Six Sigmaunmatched
Manufacturingunmatched
Manufacturing Methodsunmatched
Manufacturing Operationsunmatched
Manufacturing Systemsunmatched
Manufacturing/Industrial Processesunmatched
Mentoringunmatched
Operational Auditunmatched
Operational Expenditure (OPEX)unmatched
Operational Improvementunmatched
Operational Strategyunmatched
Operationsunmatched
Operations Managementunmatched
Operations Planningunmatched
Performance Managementunmatched
Performance Metricsunmatched
Problem Solving Skillsunmatched
Process Capabilityunmatched
Process Developmentunmatched
Process Flowunmatched
Process Improvementunmatched
Productivity Managementunmatched
Project Management Professional (PMP)unmatched
Project/Program Managementunmatched
Proofreadingunmatched
Root Cause Analysisunmatched
Safety/Work Safetyunmatched
Six Sigmaunmatched
Six Sigma Black Beltunmatched
Six Sigma Championunmatched
Six Sigma Green Beltunmatched
Staff Developmentunmatched
Statisticsunmatched
Supply Chainunmatched
Systems Administration/Managementunmatched
Team Lead/Managerunmatched
Team Playerunmatched
Total Productive Maintenanceunmatched
Value Stream Mappingunmatched

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