Senior Operational Excellence Lead: Lean, Six Sigma & AI

Silfab Solar; Fort Mill (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Employee Recognition Programs

Job summary

Silfab Solar seeks a results-driven Senior Operational Excellence Specialist to lead continuous improvement in our Fort Mill, SC manufacturing plant. You will drive Lean, Six Sigma, safety, quality, and cost-saving initiatives while collaborating with production, maintenance, quality, engineering, and safety teams.

Ideal candidates will champion CI methodologies, improve OEE, reduce cycle times, and mentor staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field required.
• Minimum 4+ years of experience in manufacturing, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or industrial engineering roles.
• Proven experience leading CI, Lean, or Six Sigma initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, VSM, Root Cause Analysis, and TPM.
• Experience with manufacturing KPIs, OEE, cycle time analysis, and productivity improvement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives across the manufacturing plant.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, productivity, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate waste and improve process stability.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, root cause analysis, and problem-solving workshops.
• Support cultural transformation toward operational excellence and continuous improvement mindset.
• Promote and support a strong safety culture by identifying and implementing safety improvements.
• Collaborate with EHS and Quality teams to reduce incidents, defects, rework, and process variation.
• Participate in investigations and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Ensure improvement initiatives align with plant quality and compliance standards.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and equipment performance to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering teams on machine-related improvements and reliability initiatives.
• Support cycle time reduction and process standardization projects.
• Monitor KPIs and operational metrics to drive data-based decisions.
• Lead cost reduction initiatives through waste elimination, process optimization, and productivity enhancement.
• Develop and track measurable savings from operational excellence initiatives.
• Improve labor efficiency, material utilization, and production flow.
• Participate in and support Lean Six Sigma training programs.
• Mentor and coach plant employees on CI tools and methodologies.
• Assist in developing standard work, visual management, and operational procedures.
• Support employee engagement and cultural change initiatives.
• Utilize data analytics and reporting tools to identify trends and opportunities.
• Develop dashboards and performance reports using Power BI or similar tools.
• Explore opportunities to leverage AI and digital technologies to improve operational performance and decision-making.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Influence cross-functional teams

Hands-on

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

4+ years manufacturing / operational excellence experience

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Master’s degree (preferred)

Black Belt (preferred)

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Office

Job description

Silfab Solar seeks a results-driven Senior Operational Excellence Specialist to lead continuous improvement in our Fort Mill, SC manufacturing plant. You will drive Lean, Six Sigma, safety, quality, and cost-saving initiatives while collaborating with production, maintenance, quality, engineering, and safety teams.

Ideal candidates will champion CI methodologies, improve OEE, reduce cycle times, and mentor staff.