Operational Excellence Manager

Council of Industry•New Paltz, NY

14d•$80,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

Operational Excellence Manager in New Paltz, NY Viking Packaging is a leading corrugated box manufacturer in New Paltz, NY with a distribution location in Ridgefield, NJ (George H Swatek Inc.) strategically positioned in the tri state area (NY, NJ & CT), committed to providing top-quality packaging & container solutions to our clients. We take pride in our exceptional team and innovative approach, driving success in the industry. We look for Problem Solvers who strive to make customers happy and successful, through packaging. Viking is all about innovative solutions, but it's our people who make the real difference. Join our team of outside-of-the-box thinkers! At Viking Industries, we believe there’s so much more that goes into making a box and that starts with our employees. We are dedicated to supporting, growing, and inspiring our team. 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. Ready to become a Viking?

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

Continuous Improvement & Lean Leadership (Approx. 40%) 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.
Plant Safety Management (Approx. 30%) 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.
Quality Assurance (Approx. 30%) 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.