Senior Operational Excellence Specialist

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Participate in company’s Long-Term and Mid-Term Strategy Deployment process.
• Facilitate and support Annual Hoshin Planning processes at site and functional level.
• Facilitate annual Value Stream Mapping and Value Chain Mapping events to support Annual Hoshin and Budgeting processes.
• Identify teams, project opportunities, actions, required training, and deployment methodologies resulting from Annual Hoshin Planning, Value Stream Mapping and Value Chain Mapping events.
• Work with Operations, Product Engineering & Development, Supply Chain, Sales and all other business functions to align, select, prioritize and plan Lean & Six Sigma project and kaizen targets, timing and training needs identified in Annual Hoshin Planning process.
• Develop, coordinate and manage Lean & Six Sigma training plan to support annual project and kaizen targets.
• Assist sites and functional teams in integrating resulting initiatives and project decks to build the Annual Budget Plan.
• Lead Lean & Six Sigma Black Belt high-impact projects (~ $500K+/project) identified during the Annual Hoshin Planning process.
• Facilitate deployment of Silfab’s Production System (SPS).
• Drive SPS KPIs and goals across the enterprise.
• Lead other Lean & Six Sigma Black Belt projects assigned by the Corporate Director of Continuous Improvement and Quality.
• Travel to location and support other Corporate Lean & Six Sigma Black Belts and their projects as required.
• Attend Silfab’s Lean & Six Sigma Black Belt training course; attain company’s Lean & Six Sigma Black Belt certification within established timelines.
• Develop and/or assist in the development and improvement of Silfab’s White Belt, Yellow Belt, Orange Belt and Green Belt training material.
• Conduct Silfab Lean & Six Sigma training courses for White Belts, Yellow Belts, Orange Belts and Green Belts.
• Assist in the development and improvement of Silfab’s Blue Belt, Brown Belt and Black Belt training material.
• Establish and deploy Silfab’s Lean & Six Sigma Program maturity growth Road Map.
• Drive and deploy the Lean & Six Sigma program through x-functional and x-site collaboration effort.
• Benchmark Best-In-Class metrics and performance on Lean & Six Sigma within our industry and outside our industry.
• Define Silfab’s Lean & Six Sigma Program KPIs, goals and metrics.
• Implement and manage the Silfab Belt Program.
• Coach and support implementation of the SPS.
• Drive Belt Certification goals and performance across the enterprise.
• Coach other belts in applying correct methodologies, closing projects on time and successfully achieving certification.
• Manage Lean & Six Sigma project decks and funnels to ensure company’s Lean & Six Sigma operational and financial goals are met.
• Assist site management and personnel with analysis and improvement of asset utilization, line flow constraint analysis and improvement.
• Assist site management and personnel with RCA (Root-Cause Analysis) and implementation of CA (Corrective Action) of PK, A3 and Apollo processes.
• Conduct benchmarking and analysis on Lean & Six Sigma practices; identify and implement process improvement opportunities.
• Support Supplier Quality and Customer Quality Program Managers with RCA (Root-Cause Analysis) and implementation of CA (Corrective Action) of PK, A3 and Apollo processes.
• Support site management and personnel in improving utilization of MES and other automated data collection and analysis systems.
• Support Safety, Product Engineering, Operations and Sales teams to ensure the highest level of safety in our products and processes.
• Support Product Design and Manufacturing Engineers in driving innovation, improving existing designs and reducing defects.
• Work with IT to develop information systems and automated, intelligent dashboards for the Lean & Six Sigma Program:
  • Project & Program Financial Benefits review, approval and tracking
  • Project Status tracking
  • Project Methodology workflow and tracking
  • Employee Certification workflow and tracking
  • Minitab License management
• Establish operating mechanisms for reviewing, reporting and communicating Lean & Six Sigma program performance and maturity progress at multiple levels in the organization.
• Manage budget targets and financial reporting on Lean & Six Sigma projects and Kaizen.
• Participate in Continuous Improvement and Quality Summits, Share and Learn, and Benchmarking events.

• Other functions as deemed relevant and/or assigned 

Qualifications

Core Competencies:

• Customer-centric visionary.
• Servant Leadership mindset.
• Builds team value through diversity, thrives in diverse environment.
• Accomplished listener.
• Demonstrated, effective change agent.
• Strong Project Management skills.
• Innovation driver.
• System-Thinker.
• Lean-Thinker.
• Lean Manufacturing.
• Hoshin or other Strategy Deployment methodology.
• Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving skills.
• PDCA, A3, Six Sigma DMAIC methodologies.
• Ability to see and understand the Big Picture and manage at tactical level.
• Experienced influencer.  Demonstrated ability to get work done through others.
• Outstanding facilitation and presentation skills.
• Proficient with a variety of computer software applications including Minitab, Business Central, Microsoft Office products and PowerBI.
• Outstanding organizational and planning skills.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Strong ability to work and deliver under time constraints.
• Quickly adapt and correct course under changing priorities.
• Strong ability to work well in a team atmosphere, resolve conflict, and comply with high quality and ethics standards.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent work experience (Engineering preferred).
• Minimum 7 years working in a Process Improvement, Quality or Operational Excellence organization, and…
• Minimum 5 years in a company with a strong, recognized Lean & Six Sigma program and culture.
• Minimum 3 years Project Management experience managing large-scale, x-functional projects.
• Proven record of results managing in a matrix environment.
• Demonstrated Minitab proficiency and teaching Minitab to others.
• Ability to travel as required.

Preferred:

• Lean Certification preferred.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred.

• PMP or Prince 2.0 certification desirable.

Additional information

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive wages ($85,000-120,000/year)
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and holiday) 
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance Plans
• Health Savings Account option
• Supplemental/Voluntary Insurance Plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement Program 
• Employee Recognition Programs
• Employee PV Panel Purchase Program

• Candidates currently working in active manufacturing or production environments, with regular shop-floor engagement
• Individuals who are directly involved in executing and sustaining operational improvements, not primarily in advisory, audit, or transformation program leadership roles
• 4-8 years of experience in manufacturing, continuous improvement, or operational excellence roles
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field required
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required (Black Belt preferred but not essential)
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing and CI methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, RCA, 5S, VSM)
• Proven experience improving plant KPIs such as OEE, throughput, cycle time, scrap, and productivity
• Demonstrated ability to lead shop-floor based improvement initiatives (not purely project office or consulting delivery)
• Proficiency in data analysis and reporting (Excel required; Power BI or similar tools strongly preferred)
• Ability to coach and support frontline teams in continuous improvement practices
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills