Senior Operational Excellence Engineer

Vallourec North America; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Sharing

401(k) Match

Paid Vacation

Bonus Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Life Insurance

Job summary

Vallourec North America seeks a Senior Operational Excellence Engineer to drive transformative performance across North America. You will lead the DRIVE+ system, coach lean initiatives, develop KPIs and dashboards, and partner with finance to validate business cases.

You will influence leaders, coordinate training, and benchmark best practices across sites, with up to 25% travel to support regional initiatives.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Problem solving

Project management

Statistical analysis

Leadership collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Visio

Job description

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

We're looking for individuals who bring the right mix of experience, mindset, and motivation:

• 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

What Powers Your Performance

Success in this role is driven by a strong mix of personal ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We value team members who:

• 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

We're committed to helping you thrive on the job and beyond. That's why we offer a collaborative culture where your ideas drive real change, and career mobility within a stable, essential industry. To support your growth and well-being, we also provide a comprehensive and competitive benefits program, including:

• 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 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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.