Lead, Operational Excellence

Jobtailor

Akron (OH)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 140,000

Full time

4 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

Stand out for this role — generate a tailored resume and cover letter in about a minute.

Get past ATS filters

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks an experienced Lean/Operational Excellence leader to drive continuous improvement across Akron/Stow manufacturing sites. You will lead Lean deployments, host Kaizen events, and coach teams in structured problem solving, PDCA, and DMAIC.

The role emphasizes safety integration, KPI tracking, and cross-functional collaboration with safety, quality, and engineering teams. A Black Belt and multi-site experience are highly valued.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent)
5–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, continuous improvement, or operational excellence
Proven success leading Lean or CI initiatives in a manufacturing environment
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification
Ability to influence leaders and drive change in complex environments
Experience supporting multi-site operations
Must be able to work in Akron or Stow, Ohio

Responsibilities

Lead the deployment of Lean and continuous improvement strategies across one or more manufacturing sites
Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities affecting safety, quality, cost, delivery, and team engagement
Facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and rapid improvement workshops
Coach teams in structured problem solving using A3 thinking, root cause analysis, PDCA, and DMAIC
Build and maintain leader and team member standard work
Implement visual controls, daily management systems, and tiered accountability routines
Partner with operations leaders to track KPIs, close performance gaps, and sustain improvements
Serve as a trusted advisor to operations and front-line leaders
Drive adoption of new processes and overcome resistance through influence
Build continuous improvement capability through coaching, training, and mentoring
Collaborate with safety, quality, engineering, supply chain, people, and finance teams
Support capital projects, layout redesigns, capacity expansions, and automation initiatives
Ensure improvements align with compliance, safety, and quality standards
Integrate safety into continuous improvement activities
Partner with EHS to identify risks and implement engineered and process-based solutions
Support safety Gemba walks, incident investigations, and systemic root cause analysis
Model safe behaviors and maintain a clean, organized work area
Improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, productivity, standard work adoption, problem-solving capability, and team ownership

Skills

Lean Principles

A3 Thinking

PDCA

DMAIC

Value Stream Mapping

KPI Tracking

Coaching

Mentoring

Influencing Leaders

Team Engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Operations/IE

Tools

Value Stream Mapping

Gemba Walks

Job description

Lead the deployment of Lean and continuous improvement strategies across one or more manufacturing sites
Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities affecting safety, quality, cost, delivery, and team engagement
Facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and rapid improvement workshops
Coach teams in structured problem solving using A3 thinking, root cause analysis, PDCA, and DMAIC
Build and maintain leader and team member standard work
Implement visual controls, daily management systems, and tiered accountability routines
Partner with operations leaders to track KPIs, close performance gaps, and sustain improvements
Serve as a trusted advisor to operations and front-line leaders
Drive adoption of new processes and overcome resistance through influence
Build continuous improvement capability through coaching, training, and mentoring
Collaborate with safety, quality, engineering, supply chain, people, and finance teams
Support capital projects, layout redesigns, capacity expansions, and automation initiatives
Ensure improvements align with compliance, safety, and quality standards
Integrate safety into continuous improvement activities
Partner with EHS to identify risks and implement engineered and process-based solutions
Support safety Gemba walks, incident investigations, and systemic root cause analysis
Model safe behaviors and maintain a clean, organized work area
Improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, productivity, standard work adoption, problem-solving capability, and team ownership

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
5–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, continuous improvement, or operational excellence
Proven success leading Lean or CI initiatives in a manufacturing environment
Strong knowledge of Lean principles, tools, and performance management systems
Ability to influence leaders and drive change in complex environments
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification
Experience supporting multi-site operations
Background in high-mix/low-volume or regulated manufacturing environments is a plus
Experience integrating CI with safety and quality systems
Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening, including drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments
Must be able to work in Akron or Stow, Ohio

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Lean and Continuous Improvement methodologies, with a strong focus on safety, quality, and operational excellence. Proven ability to influence change, coach teams, and implement effective performance management systems in manufacturing environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords