Senior Operational Excellence Leader

Puffer-Sweiven LP; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Puffer-Sweiven LP in Houston, TX seeks an experienced Operational Excellence leader to drive business improvements across processes, data analysis, and governance. You will partner with leaders to identify opportunities, map value streams, and develop actionable roadmaps with clear owners and milestones.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in operational excellence, Lean methods experience, and strong problem-solving, communication, and project leadership skills; travel to site locations will be

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business, Quality, or a related field.
• At least seven years of progressive experience in operational excellence, industrial or service operations, manufacturing, quality, or business improvement.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives from diagnosis and recommendation through business-led implementation and transition.
• Working knowledge of Lean methods, structured problem solving, root-cause analysis, process management, and change leadership.
• Strong analytical, project-management, facilitation, stakeholder-management, financial, and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret operating and financial data and translate findings into practical recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, coaching, or developing improvement professionals or project facilitators.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize operational improvement opportunities aligned with business priorities.
• Conduct current-state assessments, value-stream reviews, process mapping, and structured root-cause analysis.
• Analyze operational, quality, customer, and financial data to define performance gaps and quantify business impact.
• Develop clear findings, recommendations, business cases, and prioritized improvement roadmaps for management decision.
• Maintain visibility of the improvement portfolio, including scope, status, expected benefits, risks, dependencies, and ownership.
• Facilitate the design of future-state processes, operating models, standard work, controls, governance, and escalation routines.
• Define recommended measures, baselines, targets, data ownership, management-review cadence, and response requirements.
• Create practical accountability frameworks that identify the accountable business owner and responsible operational roles.
• Identify people, process, technology, data, equipment, and capability requirements associated with proposed improvements.
• Present recommendations and alternatives clearly to business leaders and obtain decisions on scope, priority, resources, and ownership.
• Convert approved recommendations into structured, business-owned implementation plans with actions, owners, milestones, measures, risks, and decision points.
• Facilitate workshops, Kaizen events, problem-solving sessions, pilot reviews, and implementation governance meetings.
• Coach designated business implementation leaders and cross-functional teams in structured problem solving, process control, and benefits management.
• Monitor implementation progress, identify risks, challenge delays, and elevate unresolved barriers through the agreed governance process.
• Provide time-bound transition support and verify that ownership, controls, capability, measures, and management routines are in place before handoff.
• Avoid assuming permanent responsibility for operating the improved process or executing actions assigned to the business.

Skills

Lean methods

Structured problem solving

Change leadership

Data analysis

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations Management

Tools

ERP systems

Operational dashboards

Job description

Puffer-Sweiven LP in Houston, TX seeks an experienced Operational Excellence leader to drive business improvements across processes, data analysis, and governance. You will partner with leaders to identify opportunities, map value streams, and develop actionable roadmaps with clear owners and milestones.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in operational excellence, Lean methods experience, and strong problem-solving, communication, and project leadership skills; travel to site locations will be