Operational Excellence Manager

The Operational Excellence Manager will lead the site’s Lean transformation and continuous-improvement agenda across turbine and generator manufacturing operations. The role will improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, equipment effectiveness, and lead time through structured problem solving, standard work, value-stream improvement, daily management, and selective automation. Operational Excellence roles typically focus on eliminating losses, deploying Lean/Six Sigma methods, improving throughput and yield, and sustaining improvements through standardized processes and performance reviews.

This is a hands-on, shop-floor leadership role requiring deep engagement with heavy machining, fabrication and welding, assembly, and generator-component manufacturing team.

Function: Manufacturing / Operations
Location: Sanand, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
Reports to: Operational Excellence Leader
Management level / band: LPB

Manufacturing scope

The role will support improvement across the full value stream, including:

- Machining of turbine rotors, casings, diaphragms, and other major nuclear components.
- Blade machining, inspection, handling, and preparation processes.
- Heavy fabrication, welding, stress relieving (PWHT), blasting-painting, machining, and assembly of fabricated structures.
- Turbine assembly, alignment, balancing, testing, and final inspection operations.
- Generator parts manufacturing, including stator green bar production, insulation and processing operations.
- Generator stacking, slotting, wedging, winding support, impregnation, and related assembly processes.
- Material flow, tooling, fixtures, cranes, handling equipment, machine loading, and layout optimization.
- Interface with Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, Supply Chain, EHS, and Production teams.

Key responsibilities

Lean transformation and daily management

- Develop and deploy the site Operational Excellence roadmap aligned with plant safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives.
- Lead daily management systems, including SQDC boards, tiered meetings, escalation routines, visual management, and action follow-up.
- Establish and monitor plant KPIs, including safety events and risks, quality performance, plan versus actual, schedule adherence, OEE, productivity, labor hours, lead time, 5S, TPM, and Kaizen effectiveness.
- Conduct structured performance reviews with production, support, and cross-functional teams to identify gaps and drive corrective actions.
- Ensure improvement actions are assigned, tracked, verified, and sustained through standardization.

Process improvement and waste elimination

- Lead Value Stream Mapping for turbine and generator manufacturing value streams, identifying bottlenecks, waiting time, transport, inventory, rework, and non-value-added activities.
- Conduct time studies, capacity analysis, line balancing, and cycle-time reduction studies for machining, welding, assembly, and generator-component operations.
- Define and improve work methods, standard work, work instructions, process sequences, tooling requirements, and shop-floor controls.
- Lead root-cause analysis and problem-solving reports (PSR/A3/8D as applicable) for recurring quality, productivity, delivery, and equipment issues.
- Reduce changeover, setup, material-handling, inspection, and waiting losses through Lean methods such as SMED, 5S, Kanban, pull systems, and flow optimization.
- Improve process repeatability, first-time quality, throughput, and on-time delivery while respecting product and process specifications.

Machining, welding, and assembly improvement

- Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production teams to improve heavy machining processes for rotors, casings, diaphragms, and blades.
- Analyze machine utilization, setup time, tool life, fixture changeover, inspection cycles, operator waiting, and material availability to improve machining output.
- Support improvement of heavy fabrication and welding operations, including weld sequencing, fit-up, distortion control, rework reduction, handling, and workflow design.
- Improve turbine assembly and generator stator manufacturing processes through better layout, kitting, sequencing, standard work, ergonomic design, and visual controls.
- Identify opportunities to reduce lead time and work-in-process across long-cycle, high-value components.

Automation, ergonomics, and technology

- Identify, evaluate, and implement cost-effective low-level automation, robotics, mechanized handling, digital tools, and assistive technologies.
- Lead feasibility studies, benefit calculations, investment justifications, supplier coordination, pilot trials, and implementation for selected automation projects.
- Apply human-factors and ergonomic principles to reduce manual effort, improve safety, and improve operator productivity in heavy-component handling and assembly areas.
- Stay current with Industry 4.0, AI, machine learning, robotics, digital performance management, and relevant manufacturing technologies; assess practical applications for the site

Building Capability and Culture

- Train, coach, and develop production supervisors, engineers, operators, and cross-functional teams in Lean thinking, structured problem solving, standard work, 5S, TPM, and daily management.
- Lead Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and cross-functional projects from diagnosis through implementation and benefit validation.
- Communicate the Operational Excellence vision, expectations, and results across the plant.
- Build a culture of ownership, data-based decision making, safety awareness, quality discipline, and continuous improvement.

Area

Indicative KPIs

Safety

EHS events, near misses, risk closure, ergonomic improvement actions

Quality

First-time right, rework, scrap, customer/internal complaints, process adherence

Delivery

Plan versus actual, schedule adherence, lead time, on-time completion

Productivity

OEE, machine utilization, output per labor hour, cycle time, variance and utilization

Cost

Cost-reduction savings, labor-hour reduction, rework reduction, inventory/WIP reduction

Lean maturity

5S score, standard-work adherence, TPM effectiveness, Kaizen completion and benefit realization

Improvement governance

PSR closure, action-plan effectiveness, project milestone delivery, sustained savings

Candidate Profile

Basic qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, Lean/continuous improvement, or operational excellence.
- Proven experience leading Lean manufacturing initiatives, Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, standard-work development, and structured problem solving.
- Hands-on shop-floor experience in heavy engineering, turbine manufacturing, power-generation equipment, capital-goods manufacturing, or a comparable heavy-machining environment.
- Experience analyzing complex manufacturing data and translating findings into practical improvement actions.
- Strong working knowledge of MS Excel, PowerPoint, and manufacturing-performance reporting; familiarity with ERP systems is desirable.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and influence cross-functional teams.

Preferred qualifications

- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- Experience with turbine, generator, rotating equipment, heavy fabrication, machining, or large-assembly manufacturing.
- Exposure to stator bar manufacturing, generator stator stacking, winding, insulation, impregnation, or generator assembly.
- Experience in automation feasibility, robotic welding, machine-tending automation, material handling, or Industry 4.0 pilots.
- Knowledge of TPM, OEE improvement, SMED, layout optimization, simulation tools, and capital-project justification.
- Experience supporting new-product industrialization, factory readiness, or shop-floor digitalization.

Core competencies

- Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to understand complex machining, welding, and assembly processes.
- Analytical and structured problem-solving capability.
- Practical, hands-on leadership style with credibility on the shop floor.
- Clear communication, presentation, facilitation, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to motivate teams and drive behavioral changes in a Lean environment.
- Strong planning, prioritization, and multi-project management skills.
- Commitment to safety, quality standards, and disciplined execution.

What success looks like

Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will have established a visible Operational Excellence operating rhythm, delivered measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, OEE, productivity, and lead time, and built capability across production and support teams to sustain results. The role should create a practical improvement pipeline focused on high-impact areas such as heavy machining utilization, welding and fabrication flow, turbine assembly, generator stator manufacturing, material handling, and selective automation. Operational Excellence leaders are commonly expected to align improvement projects with plant leadership, quantify benefits, manage implementation, train teams, and measure sustained results

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