Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX) – Manufacturing Plant

OPEN JOB: Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX) – Manufacturing Plant
LOCATION: Lincoln, Illinois
BASE SALARY: $130,000 to $190,000
INDUSTRY: Manufacturing & Production

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

- Strong understanding of Lean management systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.

- Manufacturing Plant Level Experience

- Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including value stream mapping, 5S/workplace organization, continuous flow manufacturing, set-up reduction, TPM, error proofing, pull systems, and standardized work.

- Proven analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills with the ability to turn data into action.

- Ability to prioritize multiple time-critical tasks and maintain momentum across several improvement initiatives.

- Ability to lead, influence, and develop cross-functional process improvement teams across all levels of the organization; both a strategic partner and a hands-on coach on the shop floor.

- Ability to apply structured problem-solving methods, including 8D and statistical analysis, to define root causes, validate solutions, and prevent recurrence

DETAILS:

- Our clients Electrical Sector - Residential & Wiring Devices Division is seeking an Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager for the Lincoln, IL manufacturing facility.

- In this highly visible plant leadership role, you will champion the company's Continuous Improvement System (ECIS), the company's Business System (EBS), Lean, and Six Sigma to build a strong culture of problem solving, operational discipline, and sustainable performance improvement.

- This role is ideal for a hands-on continuous improvement leader who can coach teams, translate strategy into action, and deliver measurable results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement.

- As the sites OPEX leader, you will partner directly with the plant leadership team to shape the continuous improvement roadmap, strengthen daily management systems, develop talent, and accelerate business results in a complex manufacturing environment that produces critical electrical products for residential and commercial applications.

What youll do:

- Champion ECIS, EBS, Lean, and Six Sigma across the site to deliver short- and long-term improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, working capital, and customer satisfaction.

- Partner with the plant leadership team to develop, deploy, and sustain the sites continuous improvement strategy, governance process, and annual improvement priorities.

- Build a culture of structured problem solving through leader standard work, daily accountability, visual management, process checks, Gemba walks, and disciplined follow-up.

- Serve as the site expert and champion for the company's Business System, helping leaders connect business priorities to practical operating routines and improvement actions.

- Lead Operational Assessment (OpA) preparation, execution, and follow-up by identifying gaps, building action plans, and sustaining progress across the organization.

- Use Lean and Six Sigma tools to eliminate waste, improve flow, reduce variation, and strengthen operational performance across manufacturing and functional processes.

- Coach, train, and mentor employees and leaders through Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Events (RIE), Six Sigma projects, benchmarking, leader standard work deployment, and capability-building activities.

- Analyze operational metrics, identify performance gaps, and recommend data-driven action plans that improve results and sustain accountability at the operating level.

- Lead site cost-out and productivity initiatives to achieve annual savings commitments and support long-term financial performance.

- Influence and engage cross-functional teams by translating complex improvement opportunities into clear priorities, practical actions, and measurable outcomes.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- Bachelors degree from an accredited institution.

- Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, or another cross-functional discipline in 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.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- Masters degree from an accredited institution.

- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

- Project management experience or PMP certification.

- Experience or certification in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), set-up reduction, structured problem solving, Kaizen, or Lean material flow.

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please respond back and include the following:

- MS WORD Resume

- required compensation.

- Contact information.

- Availability

Upon receipt, one of our managers will contact you to discuss the position in full detail.

Jason Denmark
Recruiting Manager
INTERMEDIA GROUP, INC.
EMAIL: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondenmark/