Operational Excellence Manager

Rehrig Pacific; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Rehrig Pacific seeks an Operations Excellence Manager to drive scalable standards and daily management across manufacturing and service operations. You will lead data-driven continuous improvement initiatives, align execution with safety, quality, and cost, and strengthen problem-solving capabilities across teams.

You will build and refine KPI dashboards, coach leaders, and facilitate cross-functional improvement programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree preferred or equivalent relevant experience.
• 5+ years in operations excellence, continuous improvement, manufacturing, service operations, quality, or related field.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement initiatives using Lean, RCA, PDCA, A3, kaizen, Gemba, standard work.
• Strong change leadership, facilitation, coaching, project management, data analysis, KPI dashboards, and executive-ready communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an operations excellence roadmap and site-level improvement plans.
• Standardize and simplify processes using Lean principles, standard work, and visual management.
• Coach leaders to embed continuous improvement into daily operations.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost.
• Facilitate Gemba, root cause analysis, kaizen, PDCA, and A3 problem solving with clear ownership and due dates.
• Validate benefits, remove barriers, and establish controls to prevent regression.
• Develop KPI dashboards, scorecards, and review routines for visibility and action.
• Analyze trends, prioritize opportunities, and communicate progress and risks to leadership.
• Align metrics and accountability across Operations and support functions.
• Own governance for SOPs, work instructions, and audits; ensure sustainment and version control.
• Develop training materials and coach teams in Lean tools and disciplined execution.

Skills

Lean principles

Standard work

KPI dashboards

Data analysis

Executive communication

Project management

Facilitation

Coaching

Change leadership

Lean Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Equivalent relevant experience

Tools

Microsoft 365

Data visualization tools

AI-enabled productivity tools

Job description

Purpose of the Role

The Operations Excellence Manager improves operational performance by establishing scalable standards, strengthening daily management systems, and leading data-driven continuous improvement initiatives. This role works cross-functionally with Operations leaders to simplify processes, build problem-solving capability, sustain measurable gains, and align execution with safety, quality, delivery, cost, and customer expectations.

Areas of Accountability

• Develop and maintain an operations excellence roadmap, site-level improvement plans, and measurable performance targets based on assigned business priorities.
• Standardize and simplify processes using Lean principles, standard work, visual management, and leader routines.
• Coach leaders and teams to embed continuous improvement practices into daily operations and sustain adoption.
• Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives that increase safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost performance.
• Facilitate Gemba, root cause analysis, kaizen, PDCA, and A3 problem solving; ensure countermeasures have clear owners and due dates.
• Validate benefits, remove barriers, and establish controls that prevent regression.
• Develop and refine KPI dashboards, scorecards, and review routines that create visibility to performance and drive timely action.
• Analyze trends, quantify opportunities, prioritize the improvement pipeline, and communicate progress, risks, and realized value to leadership.
• Align metric definitions, reporting cadence, escalation triggers, and accountability across Operations and support functions.
• Own governance for SOPs, work instructions, standard work, audits, and corrective actions, including approval, version control, implementation, and sustainment.
• Develop practical training, job aids, and facilitation materials; coach teams in Lean tools, KPI interpretation, and disciplined execution.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Bachelors degree preferred, or equivalent relevant experience; 5+ years in operations excellence, continuous improvement, manufacturing, service operations, quality, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement initiatives and applying Lean, root cause analysis, PDCA, A3, kaizen, Gemba, and standard work.
• Strong capability in change leadership, facilitation, coaching, project management, data analysis, KPI dashboards, and executive-ready communication.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, reporting and visualization tools, and AI-enabled productivity and analytics solutions, including effective prompting, responsible use, output validation, and practical workflow automation; Lean Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and travel approximately 3040%.