Global Operational Excellence Leader

Aurorium; Denham Springs (LA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k)

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Aurorium in the United States seeks a Global Operational Excellence Leader to drive the organization’s continuous improvement strategy across regions and business units. You will lead Lean initiatives, partner with senior leaders, identify root causes, and translate opportunities into practical, sustainable solutions.

You will develop a consistent Lean framework, standardize methodologies, and enable cross-site alignment while owning selected strategic projects with measurable impact.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering required.
• Professional Qualifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification required.
• Relevant Industry Experience: 10+ years of proven leadership experience in operational excellence, process improvement, or related roles, with global leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Root Cause & Continuous Improvement Facilitation Lead and facilitate cross-functional structured problem solving, root cause analysis, Kaizen events, and Lean improvement initiatives.
• Lean Capability Development & Certification: build organizational capability in Lean and Continuous Improvement through training, coaching, facilitation, and hands-on support.
• Strategic Improvement Project Delivery: lead selected strategic improvement initiatives from planning through implementation with measurable results.
• Cross-Functional Process Improvement & Change Enablement: partner with multiple functions to improve end-to-end processes and sustain changes.

Skills

Leadership in operations

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Kaizen

Job description

Company Overview

Aurorium is the materials innovation partner that helps global manufacturers harness the power of possibility making the world a better place. Their specialty ingredients and high-performance materials enhance quality of life, support health and wellness, and enable customers to deliver value-added solutions.

Key industries served include healthcare, personal & home care, mobility, infrastructure, and specialty paper & packaging. A Responsible Care® company, Aurorium follows the highest regulatory standards across all manufacturing facilities. The company’s global integrated supply chain offers the customer product consistency, easy access, supply security, and reasonable turnaround on delivery. Aurorium is committed to operating at the highest levels of manufacturing consistency, quality control, and safety.

Description

The Global Operational Excellence Leader owns the implementation the organization’s continuous improvement strategy across all regions and business units. The role will serve as a Lean and Continuous Improvement enabler and facilitator, partnering with leaders and teams across the organization to identify opportunities, address root causes, facilitat...ert, and translate opportunities into practical, sustainable solutions.

A key focus will be developing and sustaining a consistent Lean and Continuous Improvement framework across the organization, establishing common methodologies, tools, and approaches while facilitating multi-site alignment, standardization, and sharing of successful practices across locations and functions.

In addition to enabling continuous improvement across the organization, the role will have clear ownership and accountability for selected strategic improvement projects, bringing together cross-functional teams, addressing barriers, and driving initiatives through implementation and measurable, sustainable results.

Job Details

Location: Role can be based at one of our locations, Zeeland, MI; Greensboro, NC; Denham Springs, LA; or Pasadena, TX

Key Responsibilities

• Root Cause & Continuous Improvement Facilitation Lead and facilitate cross-functional structured problem solving, root cause analysis, Kaizen events, and Lean improvement initiatives to eliminate waste, address constraints, improve performance, and implement sustainable solutions aligned to SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People) targets.
• Lean Capability Development & Certification Build organizational capability in Lean and Continuous Improvement through training, coaching, facilitation, and hands-on support. Own Lean/Six Sigma certification programs and ensure quality project execution.
• Strategic Improvement Project Delivery Lead selected strategic improvement initiatives from planning through implementation, establishing objectives, milestones, ownership, success measures, and cross-functional engagement to deliver measurable business results.
• Cross-Functional Process Improvement & Change Enablement Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, IT, Commercial, and other functions to improve end-to-end processes, simplify ways of working, and successfully implement and sustain operational and organizational changes

Performance & Data Analytics

Oversee key performance indicators (KPIs), analytic tools, data governance, and performance dashboards to track progress and guide decisions.

Compliance

• Complies with company Health, Safety and Environmental policies, procedures, and arrangements
• Reports all Health, Safety and Environmental accidents, incidents and near misses promptly
• Acts in a safe and responsible manner at all times

Problem Solving and Innovation

• Active participation in continuous improvement activities
• Participates in problem-solving
• Takes responsibility and ownership for own learning and development in the spirit of continuous improvement of both self and the business
• Assists in the training, mentoring, and assessment of other team members
• Exercises autonomy and judgement subject to overall direction or guidance

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering required
• Professional Qualifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification required
• Relevant Industry Experience: 10+ Years of proven leadership experience in operational excellence, process improvement, or related roles, with experience in a global leadership capacity. Strong understanding of the chemical industry or process manufacturing strongly preferred
• Functional Expertise: Proven track record of leading operational excellence deployments and delivering measurable productivity improvements and cost savings.
• Strong Analytical, Problem-Solving, and Change Management Skills: Takes a data-driven approach to decision-making, with strong analytical, problem-solving and change management skills.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, and training capabilities: Demonstrated ability to train and coach on lean six sigma tools and methodologies
• Performance-Oriented and Action-Biased: Demonstrates urgency and a bias for rapid change, driving business performance based on KPIs aligned with company strategy.
• Excellent Communication & Stakeholder Management: Manages diverse stakeholders across diverse cultures and geographies, communicates clearly and persuasively, and builds strong relationships.

Willingness to travel up to 30%

Aurorium offers competitive total compensation packages, including benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, 401(k), disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, paid time off, and paid holidays.

Aurorium is a global Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of and will not be discriminated against based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, age, veteran status, disability status, genetic information, or any other protected category.

Status

Active