Director of Operational Excellence

Daktronics•Brookings, SD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Operational Excellence provides enterprise-wide leadership to drive safe, efficient, predictable, and scalable business operations across all functions. This role translates business strategy into standardized operating systems and continuous improvement practices that improve enterprise performance outcomes (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Experience, and Engagement). The Director partners with functional and business leaders to deploy proven operational excellence methodologies, eliminate waste, improve customer and employee experience, and embed a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, Finance, or related field required.
10–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operational excellence, business transformation, operations, or consulting.
Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional, enterprise-wide improvement initiatives.
Demonstrated success delivering sustained improvements in efficiency, quality, cost, and customer/employee experience.
Ability to travel by air and ground.
Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
Frequent domestic and international travel may be required.
Fluent in English, written and verbal.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
Enterprise operational excellence and systems thinking.
Strong cross-functional leadership and executive presence.
Change management, influence, and stakeholder alignment.
Financial acumen with strong ROI and value realization capability.
Data analytics, performance measurement, and insight generation.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the enterprise operational excellence strategy across all functional areas, beginning in Manufacturing & Supply Chain, and expanding into Sales, Service, Engineering, Finance, HR, IT, and Shared Services.
Translate corporate strategy into scalable operating models, standard work, and performance management systems.
Drive measurable and sustained improvements in efficiency, quality, cycle time, cost, and customer experience.
Design, deploy, and sustain enterprise continuous improvement frameworks, incorporating Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, and problem-solving methodologies.
Lead cross-functional transformation initiatives targeting process flow, decision speed, service quality, and cost optimization.
Ensure improvements are embedded and sustained through leader standard work, governance routines, and audit disciplines.
Establish enterprise process management and governance models, including value stream ownership and end-to-end process accountability.
Standardize core business processes while enabling flexibility for functional and regional requirements.
Capture, document, and scale best practices across functions, teams, and geographies.
Define and deploy enterprise KPIs and tiered accountability systems aligned to strategic objectives.
Lead business performance reviews, facilitating fact-based discussions and corrective action planning.
Quantify and track financial, operational, and customer impact of operational excellence initiatives.
Provide clear, concise reporting to executive leadership on progress, benefits, risks, and priorities.
Partner with functional leaders and executives to align priorities, behaviors, and expectations.
Influence without direct authority to drive adoption of standardized ways of working.
Serve as a thought leader in operational excellence, business operating models, and organizational effectiveness.
Partner with IT and Digital teams to improve process effectiveness through automation, analytics, and enabling technologies.
Ensure process design and improvement approaches align with system capabilities and future-state architecture.
Promote data-driven decision-making and transparency across the organization.
Build internal continuous improvement capability through training, coaching, and development of CI practitioners, managers, and leaders.
Coach leaders on problem-solving, change leadership, and performance management behaviors.
Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement across all levels of the organization.