WBS Manager

Woodward Inc.; Rockford (IL); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Stock contribution

Tuition reimbursement

Paid holidays

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Adoption assistance

Employee assistance program

Life insurance

Job summary

Woodward Inc. is seeking an Operational Excellence Coach in Rockford, IL, with a hybrid work arrangement and up to 50% travel.

The role partners with Value Stream leaders to deploy and mature the Woodward Production System, fostering a daily problem-solving culture across the organization. You will develop leaders as coaches, drive strategic alignment, and push for sustainable improvements aligned with site objectives.

Qualifications

• Technical proficiency with Woodward Production System (WPS).
• Strong coaching principles and ability to mentor leaders across a value stream.
• Structured problem-solving knowledge (A3, PDCA, root cause analysis).
• Ability to facilitate training, workshops, and Kaizen events with diverse participants.
• Proven ability to build trust and align leaders across functions.

Responsibilities

• Deploy and mature the Woodward Production System for the Value Stream.
• Develop a daily problem-solving culture and serve as a role model for continuous improvement.
• Coach and develop leaders within the Value Stream to empower teams and grow future leaders.
• Partner with Value Stream leaders to ensure alignment and accountability in executing site objectives.
• Cascade site objectives clearly across all value stream departments and individuals.

Skills

WPS

Coaching

Problem solving

Facilitation

Collaboration

Strategic alignment

Continuous improvement

5S/Visual management

Empathy/ EI

Safe experimentation

Job description

WBS Manager page is loaded## WBS Managerlocations: Rockford - Rock Cut Campus (RCC)time type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: November 11, 2026 (6 days left to apply)job requisition id: JR113979Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities, creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.**Woodward supports our members' wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position.** Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.**Operational Excellence Coach****Location: Hybrid to Rockford, Illinois****Travel up to 50%****The Operational Excellence Coach partners with Value Stream leaders and teams to deploy and mature the Woodward Business System (WBS), build a daily problem-solving culture, develop leaders as coaches, and drive sustainable improvements aligned with site objectives.**Estimated annual base pay: $105,000-$140,000All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity.* 401(k) match (4.5%)* Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)* Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members* 12 paid holidays* Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire* Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave.* Paid parental leave.* Adoption Assistance* Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits.* Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life* Member referral bonus* Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending* Voluntary benefits, including:* o Home / Auto Insurance discounts* o Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave**Key Responsibilities:*** Business System Coach: Coach the deployment and maturity of the Woodward Production System for the Value Stream* Develop a Problem-Solving Culture: Serve as a role model and advocate for a culture where employees at all levels embrace problem-solving as a daily practice.* Develop Leaders as Coaches: Provide training, tools, and guidance to help leaders, within the Value Stream, become effective coaches who empower their teams while supporting their personal growth and development in efforts of building a pipeline of future leaders.* Strategic Partnership: Share ownership of overall performance with Value Stream leader to ensure alignment, accountability, and shared ownership in the execution of operational goals and objectives.* Align Goals Across the Value Stream: Ensure that site-level objectives are cascaded clearly and effectively through all value stream departments, teams, and individuals, aligning efforts with strategic priorities.**Key Skills:*** Technical Expertise: Demonstrates proficiency with the Woodward Production System (WPS)* Coaching Expertise: Strong understanding of coaching principles and the ability to mentor leaders at all levels within the value stream.* Problem-Solving: Strong knowledge of the structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., A3, PDCA, root cause analysis).* Facilitation Skills: Ability to facilitate training, improvement workshops and Kaizen activities with a diverse group of participants.* Collaborative Relationship Building: Ability to work effectively with leaders across functions, fostering trust and alignment.* Strategic Alignment: Ability to take the site objectives and flow them down to the value stream level deliverables (SQDC)* Continuous Improvement Tools & Processes: Strong knowledge of 5S, Visual Management, Standardized Work, Daily Management Systems, Flow / Pull, Value Stream Mapping and Improvement through Kaizen.* Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Strong interpersonal skills to build trust and rapport with employees at all levels.* Create a Safe Environment for Experimentation: Foster an atmosphere where employees feel safe to surface problems, test ideas, and learn from failures.* Standardize and Sustain Improvements: Ability to work with teams to implement and standardize improved processes, ensuring sustainability and continuous improvement.Application window is anticipated to close 7 days from original posting date.This information is provided in compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and is the company's good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation range and benefits offered for this position. The compensation offered to the successful applicant may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education, location, and other job-related reasons.This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).#LI-LD1Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws.Woodward is the global leader in the design, manufacturing, and service of energy conversion and control solutions for the aerospace and industrial equipment markets. Together with our customers, we are enabling the path to a cleaner, decarbonized world. Our innovative fluid, combustion, electrical, propulsion and motion control systems perform in some of the world's harshest environments.At Woodward we have created a culture that appreciates and values the contributions of every member. We are a global team of curious, innovative problem-solvers who commit our knowledge, resources and technical expertise to the challenges associated with reducing emissions, enabling alternative energy sources and increasing efficiency, always innovating for a better future.Woodward is working with our customers to solve some of the world's biggest energy challenges. This important work needs more than just the brightest technical minds. It requires talented and committed manufacturing professionals, accountants, supply chain managers, human resources experts, information technology specialists and many more. We are looking for dedicated people who want to learn and grow in a supportive environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and inclusion.