Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX)

Eaton Corporation; Lincoln (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Eaton Corporation's Lincoln, IL manufacturing facility seeks an Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager to drive ECIS, EBS, Lean and Six Sigma, building a culture of problem solving and sustainable performance improvement.

As site OPEX leader, you will partner with plant leadership to shape the continuous improvement roadmap, strengthen daily management systems, develop talent, and accelerate business results in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, or another cross-functional discipline in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading people, projects, and cross-functional teams.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position.

Responsibilities

• Champion ECIS, EBS, Lean, and Six Sigma across the site to deliver improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, working capital, and customer satisfaction.
• Partner with the plant leadership team to develop, deploy, and sustain the site's continuous improvement strategy and priorities.
• Build a culture of structured problem solving through leader standard work, daily accountability, visual management, and disciplined follow-up.
• Serve as the site expert for the Eaton Business System, connecting priorities to operating routines and improvement actions.
• Lead Operational Assessment (OpA) preparation, execution, and follow-up, identifying gaps and sustaining progress.
• Use Lean and Six Sigma tools to eliminate waste, improve flow, reduce variation, and strengthen operational performance.
• Coach and mentor employees through Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Events, Six Sigma projects, and capability building.
• Analyze metrics to identify gaps and propose data-driven action plans to improve results and accountability.
• Lead site cost-out and productivity initiatives to achieve annual savings commitments and support long-term financial performance.

Skills

Lean management

Six Sigma

Leadership

Problem solving

Change leadership

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

ECIS

Eaton Business System (EBS)

Gemba walks

Job description

Eaton's Electrical Sector - Residential Wiring Devices Division is seeking an Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager for our Lincoln, IL manufacturing facility. Relocation assistance is available to candidates currently residing in the US.

In this highly visible plant leadership role, you will champion the Eaton Continuous Improvement System (ECIS), Eaton Business System (EBS), Lean, and Six Sigma to build a strong culture of problem solving, operational discipline, and sustainable performance improvement. This role is ideal for a hands-on continuous improvement leader who can coach teams, translate strategy into action, and deliver measurable results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement.

As the site's OPEX leader, you will partner directly with the plant leadership team to shape the continuous improvement roadmap, strengthen daily management systems, develop talent, and accelerate business results in a complex manufacturing environment that produces critical electrical products for residential and commercial applications.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $130,000 - $190,000 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you'll do:

• Champion ECIS, EBS, Lean, and Six Sigma across the site to deliver short- and long-term improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, working capital, and customer satisfaction.
• Partner with the plant leadership team to develop, deploy, and sustain the site's continuous improvement strategy, governance process, and annual improvement priorities.
• Build a culture of structured problem solving through leader standard work, daily accountability, visual management, process checks, Gemba walks, and disciplined follow-up.
• Serve as the site expert and champion for the Eaton Business System, helping leaders connect business priorities to practical operating routines and improvement actions.
• Lead Operational Assessment (OpA) preparation, execution, and follow-up by identifying gaps, building action plans, and sustaining progress across the organization.
• Use Lean and Six Sigma tools to eliminate waste, improve flow, reduce variation, and strengthen operational performance across manufacturing and functional processes.
• Coach, train, and mentor employees and leaders through Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Events (RIE), Six Sigma projects, benchmarking, leader standard work deployment, and capability-building activities.
• Analyze operational metrics, identify performance gaps, and recommend data-driven action plans that improve results and sustain accountability at the operating level.
• Lead site cost-out and productivity initiatives to achieve annual savings commitments and support long-term financial performance.
• Influence and engage cross-functional teams by translating complex improvement opportunities into clear priorities, practical actions, and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications:

Required (Basic) Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, or another cross-functional discipline in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading people, projects, and cross-functional teams.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited institution.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Project management experience or PMP certification.
• Experience or certification in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), set-up reduction, structured problem solving, Kaizen, or Lean material flow.

Skills:

• Strong understanding of Lean management systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.
• Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including value stream mapping, 5S/workplace organization, continuous flow manufacturing, set-up reduction, TPM, error proofing, pull systems, and standardized work.
• Proven analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills with the ability to turn data into action.
• Ability to prioritize multiple time-critical tasks and maintain momentum across several improvement initiatives.
• Ability to lead, influence, and develop cross-functional process improvement teams across all levels of the organization.
• Working knowledge of business systems, financial drivers, industrial engineering, and manufacturing operations and processes.
• Excellent communication and change leadership skills, with the ability to coach, challenge, and inspire teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to apply structured problem-solving methods, including 8D and statistical analysis, to define root causes, validate solutions, and prevent recurrence.
• Comfortable operating as both a strategic partner and a hands-on coach on the shop floor.

Why candidates will be interested:

• High-impact plant leadership role with direct visibility to site strategy and performance.
• Opportunity to shape the continuous improvement roadmap for a large, established manufacturing facility.
• Role focused on developing people, strengthening operating systems, and delivering measurable business results.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

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We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.