Plant Operational Excellence Lead (Lean/Six Sigma)

Wanzl; Newton (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

WNA, part of the Wanzl Group, is seeking an Operational Excellence Manager in Newton, NC to lead plant-level OPEX initiatives and bridge strategy with execution. You will drive continuous improvement, deploy the OPEX program, and oversee KPI reporting and data integrity.

You will lead Lean and Six Sigma projects, mentor supervisors and operators, and collaborate with Production, Materials, and Quality teams to deliver value and cultural change across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Lean Manufacturing expert. Proven experience in VSM, identifying current state, future state, areas of optimization and required projects.
• Six Sigma Black Belt certified. Proven experience in projects implementation.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in operations, continuous improvement, or OPEX roles, within Manufacturing.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI).
• Deep knowledge on Industrial KPIs (SQMDC).
• Excellent project management skills, with a track record of successfully leading cross-functional initiatives. Project Management certification is a plus.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all levels of the organization, supporting organizational culture change management. Ability to Mentoring and Coaching, increasing Team’s motivation and focus. Ability to facilitate Workshops and to manage high exposure presentations.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Responsibilities

• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Deploy and sustain the OPEX program within the plant, ensuring alignment with corporate methodologies.
• Lead Lean and Six Sigma-based projects to reduce waste, optimize processes, and improve KPIs, including operational performance and material flow.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving sessions (PDCA, 5-Why, Fishbone) to address recurring issues.
• Monitor operational KPIs and ensure accurate reporting of production and quality data.
• Audit data integrity across MES, ERP, and quality systems to guarantee compliance with company standards.
• Support digitalization of dashboards and reporting tools (Power BI, Excel).
• Project Management: Plan, execute, and monitor improvement projects, ensuring delivery within scope, time, and budget.
• Training & Change Management: Develop and deliver training on OPEX tools and methodologies for supervisors and operators.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma Black Belt

Problem Solving

Power BI

Industrial KPIs SQMDC

Project Management

Communication

Mentoring

Workshops facilitation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

MBA

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

WNA, part of the Wanzl Group, is seeking an Operational Excellence Manager in Newton, NC to lead plant-level OPEX initiatives and bridge strategy with execution. You will drive continuous improvement, deploy the OPEX program, and oversee KPI reporting and data integrity.

You will lead Lean and Six Sigma projects, mentor supervisors and operators, and collaborate with Production, Materials, and Quality teams to deliver value and cultural change across the organization.