Operational Excellence Manager

Viking Packaging • New Paltz, NY

93d • $80,000 - $100,000

About The Position

The Operations Excellence Manager provides strategic and hands-on leadership to drive a culture of continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and world-class safety and quality in our corrugated sheet plant. This role leads the development, implementation, and sustainment of Lean/5S/Six Sigma initiatives, while ensuring robust safety programs and product quality standards are maintained. The Manager partners with plant leadership, supervisors, and cross-functional teams to deliver measurable performance gains in productivity, cost, and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or related field. Master’s preferred.
• 5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, with 3+ years dedicated to Continuous Improvement/Lean initiatives.
• Proven track record of leading Lean transformation projects with measurable results.
• Strong knowledge of Lean tools (5S, SMED, VSM, standard work, visual management) and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Comprehensive understanding of OSHA safety standards and quality management systems.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and change-management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using ERP and data-analysis tools.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt or equivalent certification strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with sheet plant operations (e.g., die cutting, gluing, printing, converting).
• Bilingual preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, and sustain a multi-year operations excellence roadmap aligned with company objectives.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, value-stream mapping, and other Lean tools to reduce waste, improve flow, and optimize processes.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and ensure accountability.
• Coach managers and supervisors in Lean principles; build internal CI capability and mentor CI project leaders.
• Champion a culture of employee engagement and empowerment around problem-solving.
• Own the plant safety strategy and ensure compliance with OSHA and corporate standards.
• Oversee risk assessments, safety audits, and incident investigations, ensuring timely corrective actions.
• Lead safety committee activities, training programs, and continuous risk-reduction initiatives.
• Direct plant quality systems to meet customer and internal specifications.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action on quality issues; drive defect-reduction projects.
• Ensure compliance with customer audits, certifications, and internal quality requirements.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Company sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401k with match
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Semiannual profit sharing

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees