Sr. Specialist, Operational Excellence

MSD

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Specialist, Operational Excellence to serve as our Company's Production System Lead at our Elkhorn, NE facility. In this role, you will act as a Lean Practitioner, Coach, and Project Manager, driving operational excellence and continuous improvement across the site. You will lead the development and execution of the site’s improvement strategy, serving as the primary point of contact for Production System initiatives. As a Lean Practitioner and Coach, you will identify, analyze, and implement improvements while mentoring colleagues at all levels to embed lean principles into daily operations. As a Project Manager, you will lead strategic projects focused on improving supply reliability, increasing productivity, and reducing costs. This role is part of a larger network of similar positions, and offers the opportunity to work with regional and global resources to identify best practices and benchmarking for production system implementation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business, Biology, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a continuous improvement environment within biopharmaceuticals, manufacturing, or quality. Military service, coursework, and degrees may be considered as alternatives.
• Proven experience in project facilitation and project management.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in data analysis and trend visualization.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Project, Minitab).
• Ability to coach and influence at all levels, with demonstrated change management skills.
• Hands-on experience deploying lean tools and concepts in multiple environments.
• Familiarity with strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri, Policy Deployment) and A3 Thinking.
• Continuous Improvement
• Continuous Monitoring
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
• Lean Principles
• Operational Excellence
• Process Improvements
• Project Management
• Roadmapping
• Site Implementation

Nice To Haves

• Project Management Certification.
• Formal Lean training or advancement in our Company’s Competency System.
• Lean Practitioner Certification
• Six Sigma Greenbelt/Blackbelt Certification
• Current Employees apply HERE
• Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
• US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Responsibilities

• Lean Practitioner / Coach Initiate and implement improvement projects using Lean tools (e.g., Standardization, 5S, Poka-Yoke, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Visual Management, SMED, Capacity Analysis/Debottlenecking).
• Provide hands-on support for operational problem-solving and cross-functional investigations using scientific problem-solving techniques.
• Coach lean roadmaps and deliver training on foundational competencies (tier management, problem solving, leader standardized work, standardized work, and Hoshin Kanri).
• Act as a role model for continuous improvement, inclusion, and change management while developing colleagues at all organizational levels.
• Serve as point of contact to plant manager and regional team for production system implementation.
• Lean Project Manager Facilitate value scouting workshops and Kaizen events.
• Lead larger cost-savings and productivity improvement projects to achieve business objectives.

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.
• More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees