Operations Excellence Manager

TrueNorth Steel; Fargo (ND); On-site; USD 104,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

TrueNorth Steel seeks an Operations Excellence Manager to lead continuous improvement and manufacturing engineering across its sites in Fargo, ND. The role directs Continuous Improvement Leaders and Manufacturing Engineers to deliver practical solutions that improve margins, quality, productivity, and throughput.

You will partner with Operations and Finance to establish benefit calculations, define future-state processes, and deploy standards nationwide. Travel up to 30% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field is required or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive manufacturing engineering or operations experience with leadership.
• Experience leading cross-site improvement portfolios and standardization efforts.
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, project management, or change management certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement across TrueNorth Steel manufacturing sites and manage Improvement Leaders and Engineers.
• Translate priorities into actionable plans and establish ownership for operating systems and standards.
• Develop and track KPI dashboards, change management, and cross-site deployment plans.
• Coach and develop Continuous Improvement Leaders and Manufacturing Engineers; set expectations and accountability.
• Collaborate with Operations and Finance to quantify benefits and ROI of improvements.
• Ensure roadmaps are maintained and improvements are validated through project reviews.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Structured problem solving

Management of Change

Standard work

Value-stream improvement

Cross-site coordination

Capital-project implementation

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Lean Six Sigma certification

Tools

CAD/engineering software

Manufacturing data systems

Job description

Corporate Office
4401 Main Ave
Fargo, ND 58103, USA

Description

POSITION: Operation Excellence Manager
SHIFT: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm
PAY RATE: $103,807 - $115,000+ (DOE) + Full Benefit Package
LOCATION: Fargo, ND

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Operations Excellence Manager leads continuous improvement and manufacturing engineering across TrueNorth Steel manufacturing sites. This role directs Continuous Improvement Leaders and Manufacturing Engineers to deliver practical solutions that improve margins, quality, productivity, throughput, capacity utilization, and return on capital investments.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Embrace and demonstrate the qualities of the TrueNorth Steel Game Changer definition.
• Lead the operational excellence strategy and translate organization approved priorities into actionable improvement plans.
• Establish accountable ownership for product-line operating systems, process development, approved standards, KPI creation, Management of Change, cross-site deployment, and sustainment activities.
• Hire, lead, coach, and develop Continuous Improvement Leaders and Manufacturing Engineers; establish clear expectations, priorities, decision rights, development plans, and accountability for results.
• Partner with Operations leaders to identify material overages, process bottlenecks, labor-productivity opportunities, workflow constraints, capacity limitations, material-handling waste, and technology needs.
• Prioritize improvement work using strategic vision, safety, customer impact, product-margin improvement opportunity, cost of poor quality reductions, throughput increases, operational risk, headcount needs, and site readiness.
• Partner with Finance to establish benefit-calculation methods and validate realized labor, material, quality, working-capital, return-on-investment, capital-payback, and product-margin improvements.
• Ensure Continuous Improvement Leaders maintain product-line roadmaps, facilitate structured problem solving, define future-state processes, coordinate adoption plans, and complete project effectiveness reviews.
• Ensure Manufacturing Engineers remain focused on technical execution, including automation, robotics, tooling and fixture design, process and equipment layouts, manufacturing methods, time studies, capacity analysis, bottleneck elimination, equipment justification, and capital implementation.
• Ensure successful improvements are converted into approved operating standards, work instructions, training, process controls, KPI expectations, audit requirements, and cross-site deployment plans.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to use nonconformance, corrective-action, rework, scrap, warranty, audit, and process-capability data to target recurring systemic losses and verify improvement effectiveness.
• Partner with Safety to ensure new equipment, technical changes, workflows, and improvement initiatives meet safety requirements and follow the Management of Change process.
• Maintain a working understanding of TrueNorth Steel product lines, fabrication and welding processes, site capabilities, operational constraints, customer requirements, and emerging manufacturing technologies.
• Travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, and equipment partners as required, anticipated up to 30% of the time.
• Prompt and dependable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND QUALITIES

• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing, structured problem solving, process governance, Management of Change, standard work, value-stream improvement, and sustainment systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead manufacturing engineers and continuous improvement in a multi‑site manufacturing environment.
• Preferred working knowledge of steel fabrication, welding, automation, robotics, tooling, production equipment, facility layouts, capacity analysis, and capital‑project implementation.
• Financial acumen sufficient to connect operational performance to margin, cost of poor quality, labor productivity, throughput, ROI, and capital payback.
• Ability to influence cross‑functional leaders without direct authority while preserving Operations accountability for daily execution.
• Excellent analytical, project‑management, coaching, facilitation, written, verbal, and executive‑communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize competing opportunities, allocate technical resources, close execution gaps, and maintain accountability for outcomes.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets, presentations, project‑tracking systems, reporting tools, CAD or engineering applications, and manufacturing data systems.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or manufacturing operations, including leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional improvement portfolios, engineers or technical professionals, and multi‑site standardization.
• Demonstrated experience developing business cases, implementing manufacturing technology or capital projects, and validating operational or financial benefits.
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, project‑management, or change‑management certification preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.