Sr. OPEX Manager
Job Title: Senior Manager, Operational Excellence
Location: Onsite - Connecticut
Industry: Medical Technology / Advanced Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Overview
We are seeking a strategic and hands-on leader to serve as the Senior Manager of Operational Excellence at a high-impact manufacturing site. This role is responsible for driving continuous improvement, aligning operations with enterprise goals, and embedding a culture of excellence across safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The successful candidate will lead the deployment of a structured operational excellence framework, coach leadership teams, and oversee cross-functional improvement initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead strategy deployment by cascading key performance indicators (KPIs) and aligning site goals with enterprise objectives.
- Develop and execute a site master plan for operational improvement, including governance and maturity roadmaps.
- Coach plant leadership on operational excellence principles, benchmarking, and zero-loss methodologies.
- Facilitate Kaizen events and lead focused improvement teams to eliminate waste and optimize performance.
- Oversee the implementation of Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving tools across the site.
- Manage a multi-year cost optimization portfolio and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
- Supervise operational excellence engineers and coordinate cross-functional teams.
- Promote a culture of standardization, accountability, and continuous learning.
- Support capability building in autonomous and professional maintenance practices.
- Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and reliability standards while driving innovation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
- Minimum 7 years of experience in manufacturing leadership, with at least 3 years operating within a structured production system.
- Certified or recognized practitioner in Lean, Six Sigma (Black Belt preferred), or equivalent methodologies.
- Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams and delivering measurable improvements.
- Strong communication, coaching, and project management skills.
- Ability to influence across a matrixed, multicultural organization.
- Willingness to travel up to 25%.
Preferred Skills
- Experience in organizational transformation and operational redesign.
- Expertise in autonomous and professional maintenance systems.
- Ability to develop structured problem-solving capabilities across all levels.
- Financial acumen and ability to manage CI budgets and cost-to-win portfolios.
- Fluent in English; additional languages a plus.
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