Operations Excellence Manager

Vermeer; Pella (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Vermeer Corporation is seeking a proven leader to partner with operations leaders, coach and mentor teams, and drive lean leadership across the organization to maximize development and achieve production goals.

The role is on-site, with occasional travel, and requires building trusted relationships, influencing without formal authority, and leading continuous improvement initiatives through coaching, MDIs, and kaizen activities to elevate performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of four years’ experience in manufacturing or equivalent business leadership role.
• Proven operations leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in lean manufacturing, managing through daily improvement (MDI), and leading structured problem-solving efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop leaders through observation, feedback and practical application.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships, influence without formal authority and partner effectively across functions and organizational levels.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a resource for operations leaders to drive development of the Vermeer culture, lean principles, and utilization of performance boards to engage team members in the overall success of the team toward their driving metrics and production goals.
• Coordinate with Continuous Improvement Leaders to drive lean activities and learning in support of change management and leadership development abilities to plan, prepare, lead, execute, review, and audit kaizen events. Promote and educate leaders on standard processes, improved flow, waste elimination and support managing for daily improvement (MDI) activities.
• Partner with Continuous Improvement, Quality, Operations Engineering, Talent Development, and other support functions to ensure alignment and coordination of effort around driving proactive measures and leadership development.
• Provide mentorship to current Production Area Managers through leadership development initiatives in alignment with the Vermeer Characteristics and Behaviors (C&B’s).

Skills

Lean manufacturing

MDI (Managing for Daily Improvement)

Problem-solving

Coaching/mentoring

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Who We Are Vermeer equips customers doing important work around the world. We are global, driven by innovation and growing. The equipment you make manages natural resources, connects people and feeds and fuels communities. We live out a caring culture, we demonstrate agility, we keep a focus on customers and are stewards of our resources. These beliefs drive our culture, determine how we treat others and steer our business.

Work Shift 1 - First Shift

Job Summary

Are you the type of person who enjoys working with multiple types of leaders to influence and help maximize development through coaching and mentoring? In this role you will be involved with operations leaders through 1:1 interactions and group facilitation to drive lean leadership principles across the organization. Partnership across various areas of the organization and at all levels of manufacturing leadership will be the key to the success driving personal and professional development of the operations team. We’re looking for a proven leader who enjoys building relationships, coaching, and mentoring others to help drive business plans and influence the overall success of the organization.

What You’ll Do

1. 1. Serve as a resource for operations leaders to drive development of the Vermeer culture, lean principles, and utilization of performance boards to engage team members in the overall success of the team toward their driving metrics and production goals.
2. 2. Coordinate with Continuous Improvement Leaders to drive lean activities and learning in support of change management and leadership development abilities to plan, prepare, lead, execute, review, and audit kaizen events. Promote and educate leaders on standard processes, improved flow, waste elimination and support managing for daily improvement (MDI) activities.
3. 3. Partner with Continuous Improvement, Quality, Operations Engineering, Talent Development, and other support functions to ensure alignment and coordination of effort around driving proactive measures and leadership development.
4. 4. Provide mentorship to current Production Area Managers through leadership development initiatives in alignment with the Vermeer Characteristics and Behaviors (C&B’s).

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of four years’ experience in manufacturing or equivalent business leadership role.
• Proven operations leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in lean manufacturing, managing through daily improvement (MDI), and leading structured problem-solving efforts.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop leaders through observation, feedback and practical application.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships, influence without formal authority and partner effectively across functions and organizational levels.

Travel

• Occasional travel is expected of this position.

Work Location

ONSITE: A team member’s day-to-day work is best done on a Vermeer campus. If work content can be occasionally completed at an offsite location, discuss potential arrangements with your manager.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Vermeer Corporation, we believe in the value of your unique identity, background, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other status protected by the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation due to a disability at any stage of the employment application process should contact Team Member Solutions at [phone] or at [e-mail].