Operational Excellence Manager

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What we offer:

Group Summary:

Position Summary

The Operational Excellence Manager is responsible for leading continuous improvement initiatives across the manufacturing facility to improve safety, quality, productivity, delivery performance, and cost. This role drives the implementation and sustainability of Lean Manufacturing principles, coaches employees at all levels, and fosters a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who can identify opportunities for improvement, lead cross-functional teams, develop employees, and implement sustainable process improvements that deliver measurable business results.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading continuous improvement, operational excellence, or Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles, Kaizen, and 5S methodologies.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage employees at all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred

• Automotive manufacturing experience (Tier 1 or Tier 2 preferred).
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related technical field.
• Experience with Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Layered Process Audits (LPA), and Training Within Industry (TWI).
• Experience facilitating training programs and improvement workshops.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with site leadership to develop and execute operational excellence strategies aligned with business goals.
• Lead continuous improvement projects focused on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost reduction.
• Facilitate Lean Manufacturing initiatives including Kaizen events, 5S programs, standard work development, and process optimization.
• Train, coach, and mentor employees at all levels on continuous improvement tools and methodologies.
• Develop and maintain value stream maps and identify opportunities to improve flow and eliminate waste.
• Support changeover reduction, process standardization, and production efficiency improvements.
• Lead workplace organization initiatives throughout manufacturing, warehousing, quality, maintenance, and office areas.
• Support Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) activities and equipment reliability improvement efforts.
• Track and report continuous improvement metrics and project results to leadership.
• Facilitate cross-functional teams to identify and implement sustainable process improvements.
• Support ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 14001, and other quality and environmental management systems.
• Simplify processes, procedures, and work instructions to improve operational performance.
• Lead and develop Continuous Improvement team members, including assigning work, providing coaching, and supporting professional development.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What Success Looks Like

• Improved operational efficiency and productivity.
• Sustainable cost reduction and waste elimination.
• Increased employee engagement in continuous improvement activities.
• Strong adoption of Lean Manufacturing principles across the organization.
• Achievement of key operational and financial performance objectives.

Awareness, Unity, Empowerment:

At Magna, we believe that a diverse workforce is critical to our success. That’s why we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire on the basis of experience and qualifications, and in consideration of job requirements, regardless of, in particular, color, ancestry, religion, gender, origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability or gender identity. Magna takes the privacy of your personal information seriously. We discourage you from sending applications via email or traditional mail to comply with GDPR requirements and your local Data Privacy Law.

AI-Assisted Screening Disclosure

As part of our commitment to a fair, consistent, and efficient recruitment process, we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the initial screening of applications submitted through our Workday system. These tools help identify qualifications and experience that align with the role requirements. Please note that AI is used solely to support our recruiters. Final decisions are always made by the hiring manager and the hiring team. Importantly, no applicant data is shared externally through these AI tools. All information remains securely within our systems and is handled in accordance with our privacy and data protection policies.

Under conditions defined by applicable law, you may have the right to request an explanation of how AI is used to support decision-making.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, feel free to contact our Talent Attraction team.