Performance Excellence Manager

Corning Inc.; Winston-Salem, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 134,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonuses and incentives

401(k) matching

Health, dental, vision benefits

Job summary

Corning Incorporated is seeking a Performance Excellence Manager to drive quality excellence, lean transformation, and maintenance reliability at our Winston Salem, NC facility. You will define and execute strategic quality systems and maintenance programs, building a culture of continuous improvement across the site.

You will lead the Quality, Lean, and Maintenance teams, coach leaders, and collaborate with HR to develop talent, while ensuring certifications and metrics drive performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field; 5+ years in manufacturing.
• Experience applying quality systems, lean manufacturing techniques, and maintenance strategies in production.
• Strong statistical and process control knowledge.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and lead teams with clear direction.
• Experience maintaining ISO 9001, TL 9000 certifications.
• Lean certification or formal lean training (e.g., Six Sigma).

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Quality, Lean, and Maintenance functions with clear strategic direction.
• Champion a quality-first culture; maintain ISO 9001/TL 9000 certifications and advance Product Quality Architecture (PQA).
• Design and sustain a lean manufacturing program and coach employees in lean methodologies.
• Collaborate with HR to build a talent pipeline and structured training plans.
• Analyze downtime causes and develop preventive maintenance programs with leading metrics.
• Coordinate maintenance requirements with engineering for new machinery and capital projects.
• Collaborate with supervisors and contractors to achieve site goals and drive improvements.

Skills

Quality leadership

Lean manufacturing

Maintenance planning

Statistical analysis

Team coaching

Communication skills

Six Sigma / Kaizen

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Tools

ISO 9001

TL 9000

Product Quality Architecture (PQA)

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert: Email jobs to me

The company built on breakthroughs.
Join us.

Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.

How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations– not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company,and the world, forward.

At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.

Come break through with us.

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Role Purpose

Corning Incorporated is seeking a Performance Excellence Manager to lead a multi-disciplined team driving quality excellence, operational efficiency, and equipment reliability at our Winston Salem, NC manufacturing facility. In this role, you will define and execute the site's strategy across quality systems, lean transformation, and maintenance operations — building a culture of continuous improvement and customer-focused performance at every level of the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Quality, Lean, and Maintenance functions, setting clear strategic direction and performance expectations for the team and its leaders
• Champion a quality-first culture by implementing system improvements, maintaining quality certifications (ISO 9001, TL 9000), and advancing the continuous improvement of the site's Product Quality Architecture (PQA)
• Design and sustain a lean manufacturing program — educating and coaching employees on lean philosophy, tools, and proven methodologies while tracking metrics to verify effectiveness
• Partner with HR and cross-functional teams to build a talent pipeline and support the growth and development of site employees through structured training plans
• Analyze equipment downtime root causes and develop preventative maintenance programs supported by leading metrics to maximize machine availability
• Coordinate maintenance requirement specifications with engineering for new machinery design and capital project support
• Collaborate with supervisors, contractors, and functional peer groups to achieve site goals and drive continuous improvement initiatives

Experiences/Education - Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field from an accredited institution
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience applying quality systems, lean manufacturing techniques, and maintenance strategies in a production environment
• Strong statistical and process control knowledge
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and lead teams — providing clear direction and setting performance expectations
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage across all organizational levels
• Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical field
• Experience maintaining quality certifications (ISO 9001, TL 9000) in a manufacturing environment
• Familiarity with Product Quality Architecture (PQA) frameworks or equivalent quality system design experience
• Experience building preventative maintenance programs with leading performance metrics
• Lean certification or formal lean training (e.g., Six Sigma, Kaizen facilitation)

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.

The range for this position is $134,306.00-$184,671.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.

A job that shapes a life.

Corning offers you the total package.

Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.

• Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
• Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.

Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.

• Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, Corning provides company matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan of up to 4% of pay when you contribute at least 6% of pay.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.

We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at [e-mail] .