Global Lean & Operational Excellence Leader

Americhem; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Americhem, a leader in color masterbatch and performance technologies, seeks a Global Operational Excellence Leader to drive enterprise-wide continuous improvement. You will design and deploy Lean/Six Sigma strategies across manufacturing sites, coaching leaders and standardizing practices to boost safety, quality, delivery, cost, and engagement.

The role requires hands-on change leadership, data-driven decision making, and the ability to align global standards with local execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Management, or related field.
• 8 years of manufacturing operations experience with a Lean/CI focus.
• Formal CI training with Lean and Six Sigma; Black Belt or Lean Master preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a global Operational Excellence roadmap aligned with business strategy.
• Coach site leaders and functional heads on Lean leadership behaviors.
• Establish and standardize Lean and Six Sigma methodologies across all regions.
• Build a multi-year pipeline of cost, productivity, and service improvements.
• Drive measurable improvements in OEE, lead time, inventory turns, and working capital.
• Lead global implementation of Lean principles including value stream mapping, 5S, standard work, visual management, SMED, TPM, and waste elimination.
• Deploy value stream transformations to reduce lead times and improve flow.
• Embed daily management systems to sustain gains and create operational accountability.
• Use advanced analytics to drive root cause problem-solving and process capability improvement.
• Develop global KPI dashboards and performance review cadence.
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts for underperforming sites or functions.
• Drive benchmarking and best-practice sharing across global facilities.

Skills

Lean & Six Sigma

Leadership

Data-driven decision making

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Industrial Management/Operations Management

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Americhem, a leader in color masterbatch and performance technologies, seeks a Global Operational Excellence Leader to drive enterprise-wide continuous improvement. You will design and deploy Lean/Six Sigma strategies across manufacturing sites, coaching leaders and standardizing practices to boost safety, quality, delivery, cost, and engagement.

The role requires hands-on change leadership, data-driven decision making, and the ability to align global standards with local execution.