Operational Excellence Manager

Software Placement Group; Bay Shore (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Placement Group is seeking an Operational Excellence Manager for a Bay Shore, NY facility. This hands-on role leads Lean initiatives to reduce waste, improve throughput, and enhance quality, delivery, and cost metrics.

You will partner with operators, supervisors, and engineers to develop a Lean roadmap, deploy visual management and daily stand-ups, and ensure compliance with aerospace and export-control requirements on site.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline
• At least 7 years’ progressive manufacturing experience with 3 years leading Lean or Operational Excellence initiatives
• Proven results in waste reduction, throughput improvement, or cost savings
• Hands-on proficiency with value-stream mapping, kaizen, A3/PDCA, 5S/6S, standard work, visual management, SMED, root-cause analysis, and flow/pull systems
• Experience in machining, aerospace, defense, or regulated environments
• Strong analytical skills and ability to tie improvements to financial results
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive change on site

Responsibilities

• Identify waste, bottlenecks, and process variation through shop-floor observation and data analysis
• Lead kaizen events and improvement projects from planning through sustained results
• Apply Lean methods including A3/PDCA, 5S/6S, standard work, visual management, Kanban, capacity analysis, SMED, and root-cause analysis
• Improve material, labor, and information flow across machining, inspection, tooling, and planning
• Prioritize improvements to increase throughput and address capacity constraints
• Establish baselines for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and labor utilization
• Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Finance, and HR to validate savings and cash benefits
• Ensure compliance with aerospace quality, safety, and configuration-control requirements
• Develop Lean deployment roadmap aligned with priorities and new product introductions
• Use ERP and analytics to visualize performance and support decisions
• Create repeatable operating standards for multiple product families
• Coach supervisors and operators in problem-solving and Lean methods
• Develop Lean champions and process owners for sustainment
• Engage employees to identify problems and design effective solutions

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Value-stream mapping

Kaizen events

A3/PDCA

5S/6S

Visual management

SMED

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis

ERP systems

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Power BI

Epicor ERP

Job description

Location: Bay Shore, NY | Schedule: Full-time, on-site

Overview

An established manufacturer in the precision/aerospace manufacturing space is seeking an Operational Excellence Manager to lead Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives at its Bay Shore, NY facility. This hands‑on role partners with operators, supervisors, and cross‑functional teams to reduce waste, improve production flow, increase capacity, and deliver measurable gains in quality, delivery, cost, and inventory. The successful candidate will combine shop‑floor experience with analytical and change‑leadership skills to drive sustainable operational improvements.

What you'll do

• Identify manufacturing waste, bottlenecks, and process variation through shop-floor observation, process mapping, value-stream mapping, and data analysis
• Lead kaizen events and focused improvement projects from planning through implementation and sustained results
• Apply Lean methods including A3/PDCA, 5S/6S, standard work, visual management, Kanban, capacity analysis, setup reduction (SMED), and root-cause analysis
• Improve material, labor, and information flow across machining, inspection, tooling, outside processing, planning, and support functions
• Prioritize improvements that increase overall production throughput and address critical capacity constraints
• Establish performance baselines for safety, quality, delivery, cost, labor utilization, overtime, setup time, work in process, scrap, and rework
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to remove barriers affecting customer commitments, production schedules, and backlog reduction
• Reduce manufacturing lead times, setup times, queue times, and aging work in process
• Improve labor productivity, machine utilization, staffing alignment, and visibility into direct and indirect labor
• Partner with Finance to validate recurring savings, capacity gains, inventory reductions, and cash benefits
• Ensure improvements maintain aerospace quality, safety, customer, export-control, and configuration-control requirements
• Implement tiered daily meetings, visual performance boards, clear action ownership, and timely escalation practices
• Establish leader standard work, process controls, and sustainment audits
• Develop a Lean deployment roadmap aligned with manufacturing priorities and new product introduction
• Use ERP and analytics tools to make performance visible and support fact-based decisions
• Create repeatable operating standards that can be applied across additional product families and facilities
• Identify digital and automation opportunities after simplifying and stabilizing underlying processes
• Coach supervisors, engineers, operators, and support teams in practical problem-solving and Lean methods
• Develop Lean champions and process owners who can sustain improvements within their areas
• Engage employees in identifying problems and designing effective solutions
• Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Maintenance, Finance, and HR
• Communicate project progress, verified benefits, risks, and required decisions to site and senior leadership
• Build a culture of accountability, employee involvement, and disciplined follow-through

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of education and demonstrated accomplishments will be considered
• At least 7 years of progressive manufacturing experience, including 3 years leading Lean, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence initiatives
• Demonstrated results in waste reduction, throughput improvement, setup reduction, labor productivity, quality, inventory, or cost savings
• Hands‑on proficiency with value-stream mapping, kaizen, A3/PDCA, 5S/6S, standard work, visual management, SMED, root-cause analysis, and flow and pull systems
• Experience in machining, aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or a similarly regulated environment
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to connect operational improvements to validated financial results
• Ability to influence cross‑functional teams and drive change without relying solely on direct authority
• Strong communication, coaching, and project execution skills
• Ability to work onsite and spend substantial time on the manufacturing floor

Preferred qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or comparable advanced Operational Excellence certification supported by successful implementation experience
• Aerospace manufacturing and AS9100 experience
• Familiarity with complex CNC machining, low-volume/high‑mix production, long‑cycle work, high‑value forgings, and capacity‑constrained equipment
• Experience deploying a site‑level Lean transformation or enterprise operating system
• Experience with Power BI, Epicor, or comparable ERP and analytics platforms
• Experience developing supervisors, Lean champions, and tiered daily management systems
• Experience supporting NPI, manufacturing engineering, maintenance reliability, or quality improvement

Why this role

This is an opportunity to drive meaningful operational improvements while building the processes, routines, and employee capabilities needed to sustain results.