Global Operations Excellence Director

Cummins•North Charleston, SC

12h•$138,000 - $230,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Global Operations Excellence Director provides enterprise leadership to improve the effectiveness, capability, and maturity of the manufacturing function. The role defines and governs functional processes, systems, capabilities, and data in alignment with end-to-end value-stream performance goals. The Director leads improvement initiatives that deliver measurable business and customer outcomes, strengthens functional talent and learning strategies, and applies relevant industry knowledge and leading practices to support sustainable growth. The role partners across Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and plant leadership to advance operational excellence across the global manufacturing network. The role is expected to be on-site at U.S. plants more than 50% of the time to drive Global Operational Excellence practices and provide hands-on leadership. It is an on-site role with flexibility. Preferred Cummins locations are Asheville, NC; Charleston, SC; and the Charlotte, NC metro area. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

Requirements

College, university, or equivalent degree required.
Significant relevant experience, including managerial and budgetary responsibility.
Strong experience leading strategic initiatives and organizational change across multiple functional areas.
Demonstrated experience sponsoring large, complex projects and leading process redesign.
Strategic mindset and strong business insight, with ability to translate future possibilities into practical strategies and measurable outcomes.
Deep knowledge of functional quality, Lean, Six Sigma, process redesign, governance, analytics, and continuous improvement, with ability to teach, coach, and mentor others.
Ability to work across functions, regions, value streams, and organizational boundaries and navigate complex policy, process, and people dynamics.
Record of building strong stakeholder relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
Significant experience leading strategic change and managing ambiguity.
Demonstrated success creating an environment that supports performance, development, collaboration, and diverse perspectives.
Action-oriented approach, disciplined process optimization, and adaptability to changing demands.
This position may require licensing for compliance with export control or sanctions regulations.

Nice To Haves

Broad knowledge of key manufacturing and functional processes and practices.
Command of functional quality practices and the ability to train and mentor others in their application.

Responsibilities

Partner with business leaders, functional leaders, and end-to-end process owners to establish functional maturity goals and lead the strategy and roadmap to achieve them.
Define functional metrics supporting Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Efficiency (SQDCE) objectives and the performance goals of internal value chains and end-to-end processes.
Lead enterprise governance of manufacturing processes, systems, capabilities, and data within the broader end-to-end operating framework.
Define and deploy the Operational Excellence roadmap across plants and regions, aligning priorities with business objectives.
Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and Operational Excellence processes and deliver measurable improvements in productivity, quality, inventory, lead time, cost, and customer outcomes.
Own deployment of Operational Excellence playbooks, assessments, skills matrices, and maturity evaluations, and ensure sites sustain key processes with clear accountability.
Define global position profiles, required competencies, learning and development needs, and recruiting strategies; lead a learning strategy involving experiential development, professional networks, industry associations, and formal training.
Build Operational Excellence capability through coaching, training, certification, and leadership development, and establish a network of site Operational Excellence leaders and functional excellence champions.
Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, HSE, and plant leadership to remove systemic constraints, improve end-to-end value streams, standardize practices, and share leading practices across the global network.
Apply business and functional expertise to identify growth opportunities, improve customer outcomes, and advance practices through engagement with industry experts, peers, and relevant research.
Prioritize improvement efforts, delegate assignments, monitor measures and milestones, and keep leadership informed of progress, risks, and developments.
Lead, motivate, coach, and develop the team through clear performance, development, and career goals while building enterprise subject-matter expertise.
Work directly with sites to resolve operational challenges, develop capability, and guide Operational Excellence leaders; coach and advise sites on global standards while adapting solutions to local needs and operating realities.
Translate future possibilities into practical functional strategies and measurable outcomes.
Teach, coach, and mentor others in functional quality, Lean, Six Sigma, process redesign, governance, analytics, and continuous improvement.
Work across functions, regions, value streams, and organizational boundaries while navigating complex policy, process, and people dynamics.
Build stakeholder relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions that advance organizational goals.
Lead strategic change, sponsor large and complex projects, manage ambiguity, and turn complex information into effective decisions.
Create an environment where people are motivated to perform, develop, collaborate, and contribute diverse perspectives.
Optimize processes with disciplined execution and adapt effectively to changing demands.