Operational Excellence Lead

Merck•Norwood, OH

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Operational Excellence Lead to join our ISCO (Integrated Supply Chain Operations) Excellence Team. You will lead Operational Excellence (OpEx) activities at the Norwood, Miamisburg, and Cleveland sites. This includes coordinating OpEx related initiatives at the site, building OpEx project portfolio, managing resources, driving project execution, and implementing best practices and knowledge transfer across the organization. The ideal candidate should have a proven record of accomplishment in implementing and inspiring an organization for daily continuous improvement using their knowledge of lean manufacturing. This is an on-site role based out of the Norwood site with time allocated to the Miamisburg and Cleveland sites as well.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Scientific discipline.
5+ years of demonstrated record of accomplishment in site operations preferred with experience in process/product engineering and in implementing improvement initiatives with impactful results, preferably in a leading position
Lean Six Sigma Belt certification required

Nice To Haves

Practical Lean Six Sigma experience
Experience in deployment of holistic production systems preferred
Industrial engineering / engineering / supply chain / business administration degree / background
Black Belt certification preferred
Project Management certification preferred
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, results-driven mentality, experience in leading teams (leading without authority), capable to zoom in and out (big picture and detail mindset)
Ability to partner with a leadership team to refine goals and translate into an overall initiative plan

Responsibilities

Function as main Point of Contact (POC) for all OpEx related activities at the sites and as key partner for the site heads
Collaborate with ISCO Excellence Execution project managers to coordinate project executions at the sites
Function as site link to the ISCO Excellence PMO & Analytics function to provide inputs supporting e.g., standardized reports of savings and project progress
Collaborate with the ISCO Excellence LS Production System roll-out site leads, external partners & global team (e.g., support with implementation of specific tools, coaching, progress tracking, culture building)
Collaborate with ISCO Academy to support building and delivering OpEx learning curriculum
Work together with the site leadership teams to jointly define the site master plan (including LS Production System development plan to targeted future state in terms of next levels and/or certification) and to provide status updates on OpEx related topics (e.g., project progress)
Collect, analyze, and report data of current OpEx related projects to the site leaders (either own reports or insights provided by PMO & Analytics function on basis of collected data)
Ensure definition and implementation of governance aspects including solid project charters & execution plans for each OpEx project with appropriate risk management
Build the OpEx project portfolio for the sites to achieve site targets (safety, quality, supply, people & cost) and prioritize within OpEx project portfolio as part of the site leadership teams
Drive specific projects at the sites
Ensure resource availability for project execution and manage belt resources at the sites assuring that site master plan targets / expected impact are achieved
Implement best practices from other OpEx teams, and communicate own successes with other local OpEx and ISCO Excellence as well as the communities of excellence
Bridge knowledge gaps in projects by requesting and managing / developing additionally required capabilities