Manufacturing Excellence Manager

Bacardi • Louisville, KY

2d

About The Position

The Manufacturing Excellence Manager leads the deployment, maturation, and sustainment of Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM) across assigned manufacturing areas. The role supports a flexible range of Supply operations based on business priorities, including distillery, processing, blending, bottling, packaging, maintenance, utilities, aging, warehouse, and internal logistics. It drives loss elimination, equipment effectiveness, reliability, Lean Manufacturing, and structured problem solving to deliver sustainable improvements in safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, reliability, yield, waste, and employee engagement.

The position strengthens Tier Management System routines and performance management, builds capability through coaching, and partners with cross-functional teams and site leadership to align priorities and remove barriers. It manages improvement projects and benefits, establishes standards and sustainment processes, and uses digital manufacturing tools and analytics to improve operational visibility and control. The role also serves as site owner and facilitator of Strategy Development and Deployment, helping Site Leadership define and cascade priorities, align resources, track progress, and embed strategic initiatives into TPM, TMS, and daily management routines. Improvement work must comply with applicable safety, quality, environmental, and regulatory requirements and reinforce Bacardi SQS Codes of Practice.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 5 years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operational excellence, continuous improvement, engineering, maintenance, or related Supply operations.
• Hands-on experience deploying and sustaining TPM and Lean Manufacturing in an operating environment, including loss elimination, Standard Work, and structured problem solving.
• Experience implementing or strengthening Tier Management Systems, Daily Direction Setting, visual management, escalation, and leader standard work.
• Experience supporting one or more manufacturing environments such as distillery, processing, blending, bottling, packaging, maintenance, utilities, aging, warehouse, or logistics.
• Ability and willingness to support other manufacturing areas based on business need.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement projects and organizational change with measurable results in safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, or reliability.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively in a multicultural, matrixed organization; English is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and relevant manufacturing systems such as SAP, MES, Power BI, and digital performance-management tools.
• Ability to influence without direct authority, facilitate and coach teams, use data and business acumen, manage multiple priorities, and sustain change.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or Business.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher certification.
• TPM, Project Management, or Change Management certification.
• Additional language skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the deployment, maturation, and sustainment of TPM across assigned manufacturing areas, including applicable TPM pillars.
• Provide Manufacturing Excellence support across manufacturing and Supply operations according to business priorities.
• Build and maintain area loss trees, prioritize improvement opportunities, and lead initiatives to eliminate chronic and sporadic losses.
• Improve OEE and process performance by addressing availability, performance, and quality losses through centerlining, CIL optimization, changeover reduction, breakdown elimination, defect handling, and condition restoration.
• Strengthen Tier Management System routines, visual management, Daily Direction Setting, escalation, action tracking, leader standard work, and follow-through.
• Facilitate root cause analysis and structured problem solving using A3, PDCA, DMAIC, 5 Whys, Fishbone, Pareto analysis, and other Lean tools.
• Lead Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, flow, waste elimination, and process optimization initiatives.
• Coach operators, technicians, supervisors, managers, and site leaders in TPM, Lean Manufacturing, TMS, problem solving, performance management, and ownership behaviors.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, SQS, Supply Chain, Planning, Finance, Warehouse, and Site Leadership to align priorities and remove barriers.
• Define, standardize, and monitor performance indicators, ensure data integrity, and use metrics to expose losses and guide action.
• Lead improvement project portfolios; track milestones, risks, and resources; and validate financial and operational benefits with business partners.
• Develop and audit standards, management routines, health checks, and confirmation processes to sustain improvements and prevent regression.
• Use SAP, MES, Power BI, OEE systems, and other digital manufacturing tools to improve visibility, decision making, and operational control.
• Ensure improvement work complies with applicable safety, quality, environmental, and regulatory requirements and reinforces Bacardi SQS Codes of Practice.
• Share standards and best practices and support Manufacturing Excellence priorities outside the primary area or site when required.
• Own and facilitate the site Strategy Development and Deployment process, supporting Site Leadership with priority setting, objective cascading, resource alignment, progress tracking, and integration of strategic initiatives into TPM, TMS, and daily management routines.

Benefits

• Competitive pay package.
• Competitive holiday/paid time off, plus additional days such as a volunteer day.
• Retirement/Pension Plan.
• Medical insurance.
• Critical illness insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Programs.
• Family-friendly and inclusive leave policies.
• Incentive programs linked to company and individual performance.

What This Job Offers

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