Senior Operational Excellence Engineer

Vallourec - North America; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Sharing: Up to 4%

401(k) Company match 4.5%

Paid Parental Leave

Paid Holidays plus floating day

Tuition Reimbursement

Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage

Job summary

Vallourec - North America is seeking a Senior Operational Excellence Engineer to lead deployment of the DRIVE+ system and drive continuous improvement across North America. You will guide projects improving safety, quality, cost, and productivity while coaching teams in lean methods and daily management.

Up to 25% travel is expected. The role requires a engineering degree with Lean/Six Sigma expertise and a track record in manufacturing or industrial operations, plus strong analytics and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required, mechanical/electrical/automation or related discipline.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Lean / Six Sigma certification or equivalent experience preferred.
• Experience in operations leadership, process engineering, manufacturing, or industrial environments.
• Proven success deploying Lean, Six Sigma, TPS or similar methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment, governance, auditing, and continuous improvement of the DRIVE+ Operational Excellence Management System.
• Facilitate and lead CI projects focused on safety, quality, flow, cost, and people performance.
• Develop KPIs, analytics tools, and dashboards to drive operational decisions.
• Conduct value stream mapping, workflow analysis, TPM, 5S, standardization, and Six Sigma initiatives.
• Coach leaders and employees on lean principles and daily management systems.
• Partner with finance to validate project business cases and results.
• Coordinate Lean and Six Sigma training programs and skill development.
• Lead benchmarking and best-practice sharing across sites and Vallourec operations.
• Report improvement progress and strategic results to executive leadership.
• Travel up to 25% to support regional operational excellence initiatives.

Skills

Lean / Six Sigma mindset

Project management

Statistical analysis

Leadership influence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Visio

Job description

Make an Impact With Us

At Vallourec, we are seeking a highly qualified continuous improvement professional who is passionate about driving transformative operational performance. The Senior Operational Excellence Engineer leads deployment of the DRIVE+ Operational Excellence Management System, supports strategic lean initiatives, and helps operations teams improve safety, quality, cost, productivity, and people development across North America. The position will provide leadership to assist operating and maintenance leaders in identification, prioritization and implementation of projects, routines and system elements that improve key business indicators. They will provide expertise and support in monitoring, facilitating, leading and training all team members to work effectively within the system, including but not limited to methods such as 5S, TPM, standardization, workflow analysis, value stream mapping, maintenance excellence and Six Sigma. The Senior OpEx Engineer will track overall improvement progress and report as necessary to local up through executive management. The role will also be required to support other sites and other divisions of Vallourec Corporation as needed in the spirit of benchmarking and collaboration, which may result in up to 25% travel.

Your Role at a Glance

• Lead deployment, governance, auditing, and continuous improvement of the DRIVE+ Operational Excellence Management System
• Facilitate and lead continuous improvement projects focused on safety, quality, flow, cost, and people performance
• Develop KPIs, analytics tools, and performance dashboards to drive operational decision-making
• Conduct value stream mapping, workflow analysis, TPM, 5S, standardization, and Six Sigma initiatives
• Coach leaders and employees on lean manufacturing principles and daily management systems (MDI)
• Partner with finance teams to validate project business cases and financial results
• Coordinate Lean and Six Sigma training programs and support skill development initiatives
• Lead benchmarking and best-practice sharing across sites and global Vallourec operations
• Report improvement progress and strategic results to executive leadership
• Travel up to 25% to support regional operational excellence initiatives

What Sets You Apart

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, or related discipline) required
• Master's degree preferred
• Lean / Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, TPS, or equivalent certification preferred
• Experience in operations leadership, process engineering, manufacturing, or industrial operations environments
• Demonstrated success deploying Lean, Six Sigma, TPS, or other continuous improvement methodologies
• Strong statistical analysis, problem-solving, and project management capabilities
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Visio
• Ability to influence and collaborate at all organizational levels
• English required; Spanish preferred

What Powers Your Performance

• Communicate clearly and constructively
• Collaborate effectively and contribute to team success
• Adapt to change with a positive, proactive mindset
• Take accountability and show initiative in work
• Demonstrate reliability and pride in performance
• Prioritize safety and act with awareness
• Embrace feedback and use it to grow
• Maintain high attention to detail
• Drive continuous improvement and challenge the status quo
• Support and develop others through shared learning

How We Support Your Success

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Company-Paid Life Insurance & Short/Long-Term Disability
• Profit Sharing: Up to 4%
• 401(k): Company match 4.5% with no vesting period
• Paid Parental Leave
• 10 Paid Holidays plus 1 floating holiday
• Paid Vacation Time
• Performance-Based Bonus Program
• Tuition Reimbursement

Safety isn't negotiable, it's who we are. Every decision is guided by a commitment to protecting our people through clear expectations, continuous training, and shared accountability.