Operational Excellence Manager - Production

ZEISS Group•Minneapolis, MN

54d•$101,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

ZEISS is a company with over 180 years of history, pioneering science and handling ever-changing environments with cutting-edge technologies. They believe innovation and technology are key to a sustainable future and solutions for global change. ZEISS has a diverse range of portfolios in segments like Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets, and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. They are a global company with over 42,000 employees worldwide, and over 4,000 in the US and Canada. This specific role is located in Maple Grove, MN, requiring a 5-day onsite presence, with occasional domestic and international travel. The position leads and manages high-performance, day-to-day production operations on the shop floor to achieve world-class safety, quality, and on-time delivery at optimal cost. This hands-on role drives operational excellence by stabilizing and standardizing processes, maximizing machine uptime, and eliminating defects and waste. The manager will set ambitious performance standards, provide clear direction and data-driven feedback, and coach production personnel in Lean and best practices to build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and quality excellence. Success is measured by sustained gains in throughput, first-pass yield, safety, and cost, demonstrated through continuously improving key performance metrics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field (two-year technical degree acceptable with strong relevant experience).
7+ years of progressive experience in high-volume, lean manufacturing (e.g., automotive, aerospace, medical, food & beverage), including 2+ years in a people leadership/management role.
Six Sigma Green or Black Belt strongly preferred.
Deep knowledge of Lean-methodologies and Value Stream Mapping with proven implementation success.
Solid understanding of manufacturing methods, assembly processes, and standard work.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings/blueprints.
Working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP preferred; Oracle or similar acceptable) for production and inventory control.
Ability to interpret PLC -driven data and key production KPI's for decision-making.
Demonstrated strong leadership, sound decision-making, and the ability to “grow” and develop a high-performing team.
Proven track record managing via and driving measurable performance improvement.
Strong “shop floor credibility” with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels—from operators to senior leadership—both orally and in writing.

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on Gemba leadership, spending 60-70% of time on the shop floor to identify bottlenecks, safety hazards, and waste and to support teams in meeting daily/weekly/monthly production goals.
Plan, develop, and motivate a high-performing team; hire, coach, and manage performance in line with ZEISS policies and core values. Ensure that line leads perform duties to build and develop teams. Ensure roles and responsibilities between operator and line leads are fulfilled.
Implement and sustain Daily Management Systems, including visual boards, tiered accountability meetings, Lean techniques, and 6S standards to maintain an organized, disciplined workplace.
Lead rapid problem solving through root cause analysis and Kaizen events, ensuring timely resolution of production issues and quality defects.
Analyze production KPI's to reduce downtime, improve tact times machine build times and drive continuous improvements in throughput, quality, and cost i.e. NQEs.
Develop hands-on training on Standard Work, maintain training matrix for all shop floor employees.
Ensure routing and build procedures are current and compliant with ISO and internal product requirements; maintain and improve robust processes for best-in-class product quality and coordinate timely implementation of engineering changes.
Ensure all production equipment is properly maintained, calibrated, and in good working order.
Maintain a clean, safe, and ergonomic work environment; complete safety reports and provide training in accordance with OSHA and ZEISS standards.
Lead escalation in a timely manner through the organization.
Consistently model behaviors aligned with company values and perform other related duties as required.