Operational Excellence Manager

LotusBakeries • Mebane, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

In this critical role, you won't just be maintaining the status quo - you will be the ultimate champion and driving force behind our Operational Excellence and TPM strategy. As our factory's Continuous Improvement leader, you will hold the keys to cultural and operational transformation, inspiring and upskilling associates at every layer of our organization. If you are a strategic leader who believes that building deep organizational capability is the absolute foundation for delivering outstanding financial and operational results, this is your opportunity to make a lasting legacy. The Operational Excellence Manager reports to the Plant Director and directly oversees the development of the site's CI strategy and plan by implementing a TPM culture throughout the organization. The role works 100% onsite, Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm. Occasional domestic and international travel will be required. The manager will participate in a mandatory on-call rotation providing after-hours and weekend escalation support throughout the year.

Requirements

• 3 to 5 years of progressive experience within a manufacturing environment
• 3 years of active experience working within a multi-pillar TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) framework.
• Direct experience developing site-wide strategy for the implementation TPM programs, with proven exposure to Autonomous Maintenance (AM) Step progression (specifically through AM Step 3).
• Strong foundational knowledge and practical application of standard continuous improvement methodologies, including TPM, Kaizen, 5S, and SMED.
• Proven track record of successfully managing teams, developing talent, and driving operational excellence across production environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, transformative change initiatives and successfully rolling out best practices across an organization.
• Analytical mindset with a strong passion for identifying efficiencies and maximizing business value.
• Highly process-oriented approach with a strong attention to detail and a "hands-on" willingness to spend time on the shop floor to drive improvements.

Nice To Haves

• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), food production, or high-speed packaging Manufacturing experience within CPG Industry
• TPM experience during the initial implementation phases

Responsibilities

• Serve as an active, influential member of the Site Leadership Team, contributing directly to the design, governance, and execution of the overall site strategy.
• Partner with a broad, cross-functional network of stakeholders to design and implement local supply strategies that align with wider regional goals.
• Lead the factory’s cultural and operational transformation by driving the overall implementation, maturity, and success of TPM/CI methodologies.
• Design, develop, and execute comprehensive change management programs to foster a high-performance culture across all layers of the factory.
• Drive the site’s performance optimization strategy, identifying and capturing cost-saving opportunities to deliver maximum customer and stakeholder value.
• Champion and execute high-impact workstreams designed to optimize the "cost-to-serve" for our customers, driving agility and lean operations across the facility.
• Establish a rigorous culture of problem-solving by ensuring robust Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and translating data into actionable operational insights.
• Directly lead, coach, and develop a team of 1–3 direct and indirect reports within the training and continuous improvement group, ensuring a strong talent pipeline.
• Drive indirect capability development and skills progression site-wide, overseeing the growth and execution of the site’s Education and Training (E&T) program.

What This Job Offers

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