Manufacturing Excellence Manager

Bacardi; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Programs

Retirement/Pension Plan

Inclusive leave policies

Job summary

Bacardi is seeking a Manufacturing Excellence leader to drive TPM deployment and continuous improvement across multiple site operations in Kentucky. You will lead Lean initiatives, coach teams, and partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain to deliver measurable performance gains.

The role emphasizes strategic thinking, data-driven decision making and strong leadership in a matrix environment, with a focus on safety, quality and cost optimization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering required.
• Master’s degree in Engineering/Operations/Supply Chain or Business preferred.
• Minimum 5 years in manufacturing, operations excellence, or related field.
• Hands-on TPM and Lean deployment experience in an operating environment.
• Experience implementing or strengthening Tier Management Systems (TMS).
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher preferred; PMP/Change Management a plus.
• English required; additional languages advantageous depending on location.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment, maturation and sustainment of TPM across manufacturing areas.
• Provide Manufacturing Excellence support across distillery, bulk processing, blending, bottling, packaging, maintenance, utilities, aging, warehouse and logistics.
• Build area loss trees, prioritize improvements and eliminate losses in Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity.
• Improve OEE & reliability by addressing availability, performance and quality losses.
• Strengthen TMS routines, visual management, Daily Direction Setting and escalation.
• Facilitate Root Cause Analysis and structured problem solving (A3, PDCA, DMAIC, 5 Whys).
• Lead Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work and flow optimization.
• Coach operators and site leaders in TPM, Lean and performance management.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, SQS, Supply Chain, Finance.
• Define and monitor KPIs (OEE, reliability, productivity, yield, waste).
• Lead improvement projects with milestones, risks and financial benefits.

Skills

Leadership & Influence

Strategic Thinking

Facilitation & Coaching

Systems Thinking

Data & Business Acumen

Execution Discipline

Communication

Change Leadership

Digital Fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Mechanical Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering/Operations/Supply Chain/Business (preferred)

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher (preferred)

Project Management/Change Management certification (a plus)

English language required; multi-language advantageous

Tools

SAP

MES

Power BI

Job description

RESPONSIBILITIES - WITH OUR CONSUMER AT THE HEART YOUR KEY FOCUS WILL BE

TPM Deployment & Governance: Lead the deployment, maturation and sustainment of Total Productive Manufacturing across assigned manufacturing areas, including Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Focused Improvement, Quality Maintenance, Education & Training, Early Equipment Management and Safety, Health & Environment, as applicable.

Flexible Manufacturing Scope: Provide Manufacturing Excellence support based on business priorities across distillery, bulk processing, blending, bottling, packaging, maintenance, utilities, aging, warehouse, internal logistics and other Supply operations.

Loss Elimination: Build and maintain area loss trees, prioritize the improvement pipeline, and lead structured initiatives to eliminate chronic and sporadic losses affecting Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity, Reliability and Employee Engagement.

OEE & Reliability: Improve equipment effectiveness and process performance by addressing Availability, Performance and Quality losses through centerlining, CIL optimization, changeover reduction, breakdown elimination, defect handling and condition restoration.

Tier Management System (TMS): Strengthen TMS routines, visual management, Daily Direction Setting, escalation, action tracking, leader standard work and disciplined follow-through at the appropriate tier levels.

Problem Solving: Facilitate Root Cause Analysis and structured problem solving using A3, PDCA, DMAIC, 5 Whys, Fishbone, Pareto analysis and other Lean tools.

Lean Manufacturing: Lead Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, flow, waste elimination and process optimization initiatives that deliver measurable and sustainable results.

Capability Building: Coach operators, technicians, supervisors, managers and site leaders in TPM, Lean Manufacturing, TMS, problem solving, performance management and ownership behaviors.

Cross-Functional Partnership: Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, SQS, Supply Chain, Planning, Finance, Warehouse and Site Leadership to align priorities and remove barriers.

Performance Management: Define, standardize and monitor performance indicators such as OEE, reliability, productivity, labor efficiency, yield, waste, service, cost and TPM/TMS maturity. Ensure data integrity and use metrics to expose losses and guide action.

Project & Benefits Management: Lead a portfolio of improvement projects, track milestones, risks and resources, and validate financial and operational benefits with the appropriate business partners.

Standards & Sustainment: Develop and audit standards, management routines, health checks and confirmation processes to sustain improvements and prevent regression.

Digital & Analytics: Leverage SAP, MES, Power BI, OEE systems and other digital manufacturing tools to improve visibility, decision making and operational control.

Safety, Quality & Compliance: Ensure all improvement work complies with applicable Safety, Quality, Environmental and regulatory requirements and reinforces Bacardi SQS Codes of Practice.

Regional / Cross-Area Support: Share standards and best practices and, when required, support Manufacturing Excellence priorities beyond the primary area or site.

Strategy Deployment Facilitation: Serve as the site owner and facilitator of the Strategy Development and Deployment process, supporting Site Leadership in defining priorities, cascading objectives, aligning resources, tracking progress, and ensuring strategic initiatives are embedded into TPM, TMS, and daily management routines.

SKILLS - THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO CREATE YOUR LEGACY

Leadership & Influence: Authentic, inclusive and collaborative leader who can influence without direct authority and create alignment across multiple functions and organizational levels.

Strategic Thinking: Connects site and business priorities to a practical Manufacturing Excellence roadmap and translates complex issues into a clear, compelling narrative.

Facilitation & Coaching: Demonstrated ability to lead workshops, Kaizen events, problem-solving teams and leadership conversations while building ownership in others.

Systems Thinking: Understands the interaction between people, process, equipment, materials, information and management systems.

Data & Business Acumen: Strong analytical capability and financial awareness, with the ability to convert operational data into prioritized action and verified value.

Execution Discipline: Organized, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple priorities with strong follow-through, governance and independent judgment.

Communication: Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively from frontline teams to senior leadership.

Change Leadership: Comfortable with ambiguity and complexity; able to build engagement, manage resistance and sustain new ways of working.

Digital Fluency: Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and relevant manufacturing systems such as SAP, MES, Power BI and digital performance-management tools.

EXTERNAL QUALIFICATIONS – DEGREE, CERTIFICATION, ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering required. A Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain or Business is preferred.

Experience: Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operational excellence, continuous improvement, engineering, maintenance or related Supply operations.

TPM & Lean: Hands-on experience deploying and sustaining TPM and Lean Manufacturing in an operating environment, with demonstrated use of loss elimination, Standard Work and structured problem solving.

TMS: Experience implementing or strengthening Tier Management Systems, Daily Direction Setting, visual management, escalation and leader standard work.

Cross-Area Manufacturing: Experience supporting one or more manufacturing environments such as distillery, processing, blending, bottling, packaging, maintenance, utilities, aging, warehouse or logistics. Ability and willingness to support other areas based on business need.

Project Leadership: Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement projects and organizational change with measurable Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity or Reliability results.

Preferred Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher preferred. TPM, Project Management or Change Management certification is a plus.

Language & Matrix Environment: Strong communicator able to work effectively in a multicultural, matrixed organization. English required; additional languages are an advantage depending on location.

PERSONAL QUALITIES – SHARE OUR FOUNDER’S PASSION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL FLAIR

Continuous Improvement Mindset: Uses TPM and Lean as management systems to expose losses, develop people and deliver sustainable performance, not simply to report green metrics.

Business Results: Delivers measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity, Reliability, Yield, Waste and Employee Engagement.

Capability Development: Builds practical capability at all levels and creates clear standards, coaching routines and ownership for sustainment.

Belonging: Creates an environment where people feel valued for who they are, what they contribute and who they can become.

Self-Awareness: Understands personal strengths, development needs and impact on others; actively seeks and applies feedback.

People Agility: Builds trust, navigates difficult situations constructively and strengthens collective performance across functions.

Results Agility: Maintains pace, focus and accountability in new or complex situations while delivering sustainable outcomes.

Mental Agility: Thinks critically, connects systems and data, simplifies complexity and balances strategy with disciplined execution.

Change Agility: Demonstrates curiosity, experimentation and resilience, learns from experience and helps others adapt to change.

LEADERSHIP AGILITY

At Bacardi we care deeply about finding brilliant talent who can bring the following personal attributes to help elevate our 3Fs: Fearless, Family, Founder culture to the next level.

• Belonging: You have a strong capacity to create a culture of ‘Belonging’, where people feel appreciated for who they are, what they do, and who they can become

• Self-Awareness: You have high levels of self-awareness, are reflective and know yourself well, understanding both your own strengths and weaknesses and your impact on others

• People Agility: You bring a deep ability to understand and relate to people and navigate through tough situations to harness and multiply collective performance

• Results Agility: You demonstrate consistent delivery of results in first-time situations by inspiring teams, exhibiting a presence that builds confidence in yourself and others.

• Mental Agility: You can think critically to penetrate complex problems and expand the possibilities by making fresh connections. You think strategically whilst being execution focused and bring creativity to the challenges you’re presented with

• Change Agility: You have a deep natural curiosity, desire to experiment and ability to effectively deal with the heat of change. You have a growth and learning mindset: ready to test, stumble, learn and apply from experience

Disclaimer: Bacardi seeks talent from all backgrounds to bring diversity of thought, agility and capability to our organization across the globe. We promote a working environment where all employees are treated and rewarded fairly. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination that adversely affects individuals or groups on the basis of national origin, race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, and any other legally protected aspect of a person’s identity.

U.S. applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.

Perks of Working for us

At Bacardi,we arecommitted toproviding ourPrimos (employees) with a comprehensive Total Rewards package ofcompensation, benefits, incentives, allowances, well-being, and much more to meet the needs of themselves and their families. It goes beyond just Cash! The total rewards program is based on pay for performance, whereby the incentive programs are linked to company and individual performance.

Compensation, Paid Time Off & Retirement:

• Competitive Pay Package

• Competitive Holiday/Paid Time Off, plus additional days offered ( i.e., volunteer day, allowing you to give back to the community)

• Retirement/Pension Plan

Health & Wellbeing

• Medical, Critical Illness, and Life Insurance

• Employee Assistance Programs

• Best-in-class, family-friendly, and inclusive leave policies

Additional Benefits

The benefits /perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Bacardi, your work location, and are subject to change.

Some benefits may be subject to an employee contribution.

Some benefits may be fully or partially subsidized. Incentive plans are linked to the nature of your employment and can vary based on region, market, function or brand.