Manager I, Operational Excellence

Baxter International Inc. • Cleveland, MS

1d • $128,000 - $160,000

About The Position

At Baxter Healthcare Corporation, the Manager I, Operational Excellence, plays a pivotal role in driving the deployment of Operational Excellence (OpEx) programs at our site. This position is crafted for an ambitious leader who excels in process improvement and project management. You will work closely with department management to improve processes and develop support and deployment plans, ensuring flawless execution and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• BS/BA degree in Business Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• Certified Black Belt with strong understanding of LEAN Manufacturing principles.
• Minimum of 5 years of business operations and/or plant manufacturing or engineering experience, including 3+ years of demonstrated process improvement success.
• Skilled in managing various projects and exhibiting planning, budgeting, and project management proficiency.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional groups.
• Strong skills in negotiation and persuasion.
• Excellent reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and statistical problem-solving skills.
• Strong mentoring and facilitation skills.
• Experience with Lean tools and approaches like Kanban, Heijunka, and Poka-Yoke.
• Experience with quality standards like ISO 9001 and cGMP.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma techniques including DMAIC and DMADV.
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification, Master Black Belt preferred.
• Practical experience with LEAN tools and methodologies.
• Familiarity with quality standards, established operational guidelines, and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

Responsibilities

• Lead the rollout of the OpEx program within operations functions.
• Ensure each applicable function has OpEx support infrastructure and a deployment plan.
• Work together with department management to identify how OpEx can support their ongoing improvement efforts.
• Develop and carry out an OpEx team support and deployment plan.
• Assist in coordinating and developing the organization's OpEx deployment plan.
• Establish baseline and target metrics for key processes with leadership.
• Install organizational supports for Operational Excellence.
• Coach and mentor site-wide Black Belt and Green Belt candidates.
• Handle several projects while exhibiting expertise in planning, budgeting, and project management.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary groups, demonstrating effective negotiating and influencing abilities.
• Develop and present training materials and facilitate workshops.
• Develop and carry out training programs to educate site employees on OpEx principles, tools, and methodologies, including Lean principles, Six Sigma methodologies, and quality standards.
• Provide training and mentoring on LEAN manufacturing principles such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen events, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Deliver training sessions on process improvement, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Coordinate with department managers to assess training needs and formulate training plans.
• Offer ongoing coaching and mentoring to support professional development and improve skills and knowledge.
• Maintain a training schedule to ensure all site employees have access to training and development opportunities.

Benefits

• Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance.
• Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching.
• We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave.
• Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager