Manager, Regional Operational Excellence

SC Johnson•Racine, WI

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager Regional Operational Excellence is accountable for driving measurable, sustainable productivity and cost improvements across multiple manufacturing sites. In this role, you will partner with Plant Managers and Regional Leadership to deploy standardized operating systems, build organizational capability, and deliver a robust pipeline of initiatives with validated financial impact. You will act as the bridge between Global Manufacturing COE standards and site execution, this leader ensures consistency, scalability, and alignment of manufacturing excellence practices across the region. In this role you will also drive the advancement of Digital Manufacturing and Factory 4.0 capabilities by integrating data, automation, advanced analytics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into operational processes to enable real-time decision making, predictive performance, and scalable improvements across sites. All qualified candidates are welcome to apply; a preferred candidate has been identified.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required and 5+ years of experience in supply chain (internships included), manufacturing or a related field, or an advanced degree and 3+ years of experience in supply chain.
Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship for full-time employment.

Nice To Haves

Proven experience leading multi-site operational improvement initiatives
Strong financial and business acumen
Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies
Experience with Digital Manufacturing / Industry 4.0 concepts
Exposure to AI/ML applications in manufacturing (predictive analytics, computer vision, optimization models) preferred
Ability to influence without direct authority, with strong communication and facilitation skills
Strategic thinking and execution
Data-driven decision making
Project and Program Management
Technical knowledge of manufacturing systems
Digital and AI fluence (ability to translate data and AI insights into business value)

Responsibilities

Own and deliver a regional productivity pipeline with validated financial impact (cost reduction, OEE improvement, scrap reduction).
Identify, prioritize, and eliminate top manufacturing losses using data-driven analysis.
Implement and sustain standardized Daily Management Systems (DMS), tiered accountability, and visual management across all sites.
Leverage machine learning models to improve throughput, reduce downtime, and enhance yield performance.
Drive replication and standardization of best practices across plants to reduce variability in performance.
Partner with Plant Managers to ensure accountability for results while providing systems, tools, and coaching.
Establish and lead a regional operating cadence (weekly, monthly, quarterly performance reviews).
Develop and track capability-building plans for plant leadership and operational teams.
Collaborate with Global COE to adapt and deploy manufacturing excellence standards effectively.
Leverage digital tools (SAP, Power BI, PowerApps, RedZone, etc.) to enhance performance visibility and proactive decision-making.
Identify and scale Factory 4.0 opportunities, including automation, advanced analytics, and smart manufacturing solutions.
Act as a strategic partner to the Senior Regional Director in shaping productivity roadmaps and operational strategy.
Identify and deploy AI-driven use cases (predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, quality prediction, energy optimization).
Integrate AI insights into Daily Management Systems to enable prescriptive and autonomous decision-making at the plant level.
Partner with IT, Data Science teams, and Global COE to develop scalable AI solutions and data governance frameworks.
Drive adoption of AI-powered tools (e.g., anomaly detection, computer vision for quality, digital twins).
Build organizational understanding and capability in AI literacy and data-driven culture across sites.
Lead deployment of Digital Manufacturing, Factory 4.0, and AI-enabled initiatives across the region.
Utilize MES, SAP, IoT platforms, and analytics tools to enable real-time performance management.
Drive adoption of digital dashboards and automated data pipelines for decision-making.
Identify automation opportunities to improve productivity and reduce variability.
Enable predictive analytics for downtime, quality, and maintenance improvements using AI/ML models.
Partner cross-functionally, e.g. with IT and Global COEs, to ensure scalable digital and AI solutions.