The Director of Manufacturing Excellence & Strategy is the enterprise steward of Manufacturing Excellence (ManEx), responsible for defining, deploying, and sustaining a standardized, world-class continuous improvement system across all manufacturing sites. This role ensures ManEx is embedded into how the business operates—linking safety, quality, service, cost, and people capability into an integrated performance system that delivers sustainable results at scale.
Accountabilities:
- Own the enterprise Manufacturing Excellence strategy, roadmap, and governance model across all manufacturing sites
- Translate business strategy into standardized operating systems, tooling, and behaviors that improve performance and capability
- Build and sustain a continuous improvement culture through leader enablement, coaching, and capability development
- Ensure ManEx drives measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Cost, Service, and Engagement
- Develop a strong pipeline of CI leaders and change agents across operations
Key Metrics & Financial Targets:
- ManEx maturity progression by site and function
- Year-over-year improvement in: OEE / productivity, Loss reduction, Cost savings / waste reduction, Safety and Quality leading indicators
- % of leaders and teams trained and certified in ManEx methodologies
- Sustainability of gains (standard work adherence, audit results)
Own:
- Enterprise ManEx framework, standards, and roadmap
- CI methodology selection and deployment (Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving)
- Capability model and certification pathways
- Standard work, loss analysis, and governance mechanisms
Influence:
- Site leadership teams on prioritization, resourcing, and adoption
- Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and People Ops on integrated improvement initiatives
- Capital planning and project prioritization tied to performance losses
Veto:
- Non-standard CI approaches that conflict with enterprise ManEx framework
- Initiatives that undermine standardization or sustainability
Critical Relationships:
- SVP Manufacturing & Site Directors / GMs and Site Leadership Teams
- Engineering & Operational Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, People Operations / L&D, External ManEx and CI partners
Skills Needed To Be Successful:
- 10+ years in manufacturing operations and/or continuous improvement leadership
- Proven experience deploying CI systems across multiple sites
- Strong Lean / Six Sigma expertise (certification preferred)
- Deep understanding of manufacturing KPIs (OEE, losses, flow, safety, quality)
- Exceptional change leadership, coaching, and facilitation skills