Value Stream Manager

Optima Organizational Solutions; Longview (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Optima Organizational Solutions is seeking a Value Stream Manager in Longview, Texas. This role involves leading a part of the manufacturing site, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality production aligned with business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in manufacturing leadership, a solid background in Lean principles, and strong problem-solving skills. Key responsibilities include overseeing production performance, driving continuous improvement, and collaborating effectively with functional leaders.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading production teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles.

Responsibilities

• Set direction and lead assigned manufacturing value streams.
• Oversee production, safety, quality, and maintenance.
• Anticipate, prioritize, and remove constraints.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing principles

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field

Job description

SUMMARY

The Value Stream Manager is responsible for leading a defined portion of the manufacturing site, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality production aligned to site and business objectives. The Value Stream Manager oversees a segment of the business representing the company’s Business Unit Products.

This role drives daily operational execution across assigned value streams or production areas, with accountability for Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) performance.

The Value Stream Manager partners closely with the Site Director and functional leaders to translate site strategy into disciplined execution, while building strong frontline leadership capability and a culture of continuous improvement.

PRIMARY DUTIES

• Set direction and lead assigned manufacturing value streams to achieve customer commitments for safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC).
• Oversee production, safety, quality, maintenance, continuous improvement, production planning and manufacturing operations for plant area.
• Align capacity, staffing, materials, and maintenance readiness to meet demand signals and deliver on-time to customer‑required timelines.
• Establish operating rhythms, tiered accountability, and standard work that ensure predictable execution and stable lead times for customers.
• Anticipate, prioritize, and remove constraints to protect customer delivery performance, escalating risks early with clear recovery plans.
• Own performance outcomes for assigned areas and drive balanced trade‑offs that meet customer needs while achieving site targets.
• Champion a safety‑first culture and risk management system that enables reliable execution without compromising customer commitments.
• Lead a robust quality system that consistently meets customer specifications, reduces escapes, and improves first‑pass yield.
• Deliver on‑time and in‑full (OTIF) performance by aligning master scheduling, execution priorities, and cross–functional support to customer timelines.
• Optimize labor and material strategies to improve productivity, support growth, and meet cost objectives without jeopardizing delivery timelines.
• Build a high‑performing leadership team by coaching, developing, and holding leaders accountable for customer‑focused results.
• Strengthen execution capability through tiered accountability, clear decision rights, and disciplined follow‑through tied to delivery commitments.
• Promote a culture of accountability, engagement, and respect that supports operational stability and consistent customer outcomes.
• Partner with HR to align workforce planning, performance management, and development to meet production plans and customer timelines.
• Develop succession depth for key roles to ensure continuity, scalability, and sustained customer delivery performance.
• Lead and sustain a Lean operating system that improves flow, reduces lead time, and increases responsiveness to customer needs.
• Drive structured problem solving and corrective action governance to prevent recurrence and protect customer quality and delivery.
• Prioritize and deliver continuous improvement initiatives that increase capacity, shorten lead times, and improve the customer experience.
• Sustain performance through standardization, visual management, and control plans that maintain stable output and predictable delivery.
• Collaborate with functional leaders (planning, supply chain, quality, engineering, maintenance) to synchronize priorities and deliver to customer timelines.
• Define, monitor, and act on leading and lagging indicators to ensure forecast‑to‑ship performance meets customer expectations.
• Lead operating reviews that align teams to priorities, surface risks to delivery timelines, and drive rapid decision‑making and follow-through.
• Use analytics and customer/production feedback to set priorities, allocate resources, and improve throughput, quality, and on‑time delivery.
• Escalate risks, constraints, and trade‑offs with clear options and impacts to customer timelines, enabling timely decisions at the site level.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field (preferred)
• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience
• Proven experience leading production teams in a fast‑paced environment
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational results and team performance
• Effective leadership, coaching, and communication skills
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making capabilities

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

• Execution‑focused: Translates strategy into results on the floor
• People leader: Builds strong, capable frontline teams
• Operationally disciplined: Drives consistency and accountability
• Continuous improvement mindset: Always looking to improve processes and outcomes
• Collaborative partner: Works effectively across functions and with site leadership