Regional Operational Excellence Manager

Land O'Lakes

11d•$123,920 - $185,880•Remote

About The Position

The Regional Operational Excellence Manager is responsible for driving continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and strategic capability-building across multiple production sites and/ or support areas within a designated region. This role partners closely with site leaders, functional stakeholders, and senior management to identify opportunities, prioritize high-impact initiatives, and deploy Operational Excellence methodologies that strengthen performance, quality, culture, and long-term capability. This leader is a subject-matter-expert in Lean Six Sigma, structured problem solving, and Black Belt level project execution, with strong accountability for ensuring the improvement initiatives are financially validated, deliver measurable ROI, and drive sustainable business impact.

Requirements

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification.
7+ years experience leading operational excellence, Lean, or continuous improvement in a manufacturing, supply chain or production environment.
Demonstrated success leading Black Belt level initiatives with validated financial impact.
Strong coaching, facilitation, influence, and change-leadership capabilities.
Proven ability to drive cultural transformation and sustain long-term behavioral change.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with regional leaders, site leaders, and functional stakeholders to develop and execute a regional Op Ex strategy and improvement roadmap.
Identify and prioritize opportunities with the highest potential business impact, balancing resources, timelines, and strategic priorities.
Influence senior leaders to adopt and reinforce Op Ex systems, behaviors, and decision‑making disciplines.
Lead Black Belt level projects, including cross‑functional and cross‑site initiatives addressing systemic operational, quality, and cost challenges.
Conduct advanced problem solving using Lean Six Sigma, statistical analysis, and structured improvement tools.
Ensure rigorous financial validation of all projects, partnering with Finance to confirm baseline performance, projected benefits, and post‑implementation results.
Establish and maintain operating systems, standard work, visual management, and performance routines across sites to stabilize gains and prevent regression.
Proactively remove roadblocks to accelerate project execution and sustainment.
Coach leaders, project teams, and frontline employees in Op Ex principles, behaviors, tools, and problem‑solving methods.
Develop and deliver Op Ex training including Lean fundamentals, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, daily management, and structured problem solving.
Coach and mentor Green Belts, project leaders, and aspiring Black Belts; oversee certification processes and capability growth.
Embed a culture of continuous improvement and data‑driven decision making across the region.
Partner with Finance to confirm savings, validate assumptions, and ensure alignment with corporate accounting standards.
Provide leadership with regular visibility into regional Op Ex performance, including pipeline health, ROI, risks, and mitigation plans.
Ensure adherence to Op Ex standards, project management discipline, and governance frameworks across all sites.