Lead Operation Excellence Specialist

Johnson Matthey•Easttown Township, PA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

World-changing careers, enabled by Johnson Matthey. With more than 200 years history, join us and help to accelerate the transition to net-zero! As a Lead Operational Excellence Specialist you’ll contribute to JM’s mission as a world leader in sustainable technology, transforming energy and reducing carbon emissions for a cleaner, brighter future. The Lead Operational Excellence Specialist plays a key role in driving continuous improvement and operational performance across CA Devon, US. Supporting Region OPEX Manager by Working closely with site leadership, site teams and other functions, the role identifies operational priorities, leads or supports key improvement programs, and delivers tangible outcomes that enhance operational performance and maturity. The role combines hands-on improvement work with analytical problem solving, helping sites address performance challenges and deliver tangible Operational Excellence savings. They will embed best practices, achieve the required operational maturity, and strengthen capabilities through the structured JM Production System (JMPS). The specialist will contribute directly to site strategy delivery, facilitate knowledge sharing across the region, and apply data-driven methods to improve processes, productivity, quality, and reliability.

Requirements

Experience in Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Operations or related roles
Demonstrated ability to program manage, lead or support improvement initiatives with measurable results
Experience applying structured problem-solving techniques and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma)
Strong process, analytical and data interpretation skills
Experience working in operational or production environments (e.g., manufacturing, logistics, operations)
Structured problem solving and analytical thinking
Strong stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and influencing skills
Excellent communication and facilitation skills
Strong internal and external customer focus with the ability to negotiate and prioritize deadlines accordingly

Responsibilities

Identify operational priorities and improvement opportunities in partnership with site management, functions and Site & Region operations leaders
Lead or support key operational excellence programs and improvement initiatives across site
Deliver measurable improvements in operational performance, including productivity, efficiency, quality, safety and cost
Support the execution of Site operational excellence roadmaps and priorities
Partner with site leadership teams to support the delivery of site strategies through targeted improvement initiatives
Facilitate and lead improvement activities such as Kaizen events, value stream analysis, and structured problem-solving workshops as per Site OPEX Delivery plan
Ensure improvement initiatives translate into sustainable changes to processes, systems, and behaviors
Lead expert ideation sessions to generate and evaluate improvement opportunities
Conduct root cause analysis to address operational issues and performance gaps
Apply data analytics and performance insights to identify process improvement opportunities
Improve operational maturity of Site through adoption and consistent application of the structured production system (JMPS) following deployment roadmap framework at Shop Floor
Assess current operational practices and identify opportunities to strengthen operational maturity and capabilities at site
Embed appropriate standardized tools, processes, and governance aligned with the production system
Adopt & Deploy operational best practices from sites & industry at Devon site
Support the development of continuous improvement capabilities within site teams through training, coaching and facilitation
Contribute to building a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement at Devon Site
Promote the Site Achievement internally & globally at JM using variety of comms platform, also celebrating success by developing & deploying recognitions programs at site.