Operational Excellence Manager

Qualdoc • Virginia Beach, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an Operational Excellence Manager to lead continuous improvement efforts in a manufacturing environment. This position will identify process inefficiencies, reduce waste, improve productivity, and implement sustainable solutions using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who can work directly with production teams, analyze operational data, and turn improvement opportunities into measurable results.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Management, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years of experience leading or implementing continuous improvement initiatives in manufacturing.
• Experience in engineer-to-order, fabrication, industrial, or manufacturing operations preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to deliver measurable results through process improvement projects.
• Strong knowledge of Lean principles, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Kaizen, and change management.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret operational data.
• Strong leadership, project management, facilitation, presentation, and training skills.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Self-motivated with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage continuous improvement initiatives aligned with operational goals.
• Partner with manufacturing and operations leaders to improve productivity, labor efficiency, quality, safety, cycle time, and cost.
• Identify bottlenecks, waste, and process inefficiencies and develop sustainable corrective actions.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, process improvement workshops, and root-cause analysis.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, value stream mapping, and change-management methods.
• Work directly with production teams to implement process improvements and standard work.
• Train, coach, and mentor employees on continuous improvement tools and practices.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure improvement results and program effectiveness.
• Analyze operational data and use findings to support decisions and action plans.
• Present project results, recommendations, and progress to plant and senior leadership.
• Develop strategies to increase employee participation and accountability in improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for workflow improvements, labor efficiency, and capital investment.
• Support improvement activities across multiple shifts as needed.
• Ensure all initiatives support safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.

What This Job Offers

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