Director Of Operations Jobs in Decatur, IN (NOW HIRING)

Department: Manufacturing / Operations / Quality

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: US - Indiana - Fort Wayne

Reporting To: Brent Spikes

Join Franklin Electric on our mission to empower communities with sustainable water management solutions, where your expertise will play a vital role in shaping a better future for generations to come. The Director, Global Operations Excellence will be responsible for driving process improvements that support the organization’s commitment to quality – our #1 Key Factor – while contributing to margin expansion through year-over-year productivity improvements. The role focuses on identifying process inefficiencies, leading continuous improvement initiatives, managing and reporting on global quality and productivity improvement efforts, and helping ensure consistent product quality. The ideal candidate will bring practical experience in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, along with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across cross‑functional teams.

Franklin Electric is a diverse team of innovators making a positive global impact since 1944. We offer innovative water solutions, ensuring access, treatment, and efficient management of this vital resource. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our innovative products, industry leading quality products, exceptional customer service, employee development, and passion for social responsibility.

• Implement global systems and processes to establish, improve, monitor, and maintain quality standards, procedures, and documentation.
• Train and support global team members to ensure root cause identification and effective corrective actions implementation.
• Investigate quality issues, conduct root cause analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate with operations, supply chain, and engineering teams to ensure quality is designed into processes and products from the outset.
• Analyze quality metrics and recommend improvements to enhance overall performance.
• Develop effective reporting systems that enable commercial and product teams to communicate clearly and effectively with customers.

• Lead and execute Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall performance.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping sessions, and root cause analysis workshops.
• Train global team members to lead continuous improvement efforts across the organization.
• Manage the global continuous improvement project funnel and prioritize initiatives.
• Identify process gaps and implement sustainable solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Track, analyze, and report key performance indicators to measure the impact of improvement initiatives.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams, including operations, supply chain, and engineering, to standardize and share best practices.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through training, coaching, and change management.
• Support strategic initiatives by aligning continuous improvement projects with organizational priorities.

• Measurable cost savings and efficiency gains from CI initiatives.
• Reduction in defects, errors, or rework.
• Improved process cycle times and throughput.
• Audit compliance and quality performance indicators.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Operations, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in continuous improvement, quality, or operations roles with 3-6 years of experience in continuous improvement roles.
• Practical experience with Lean methodologies and Six Sigma tools.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to interpret financial data and support strategic decision making.
• Demonstrated strong financial acumen and business insight.
• Experience leading improvement projects and working with cross‑functional teams.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Minitab, or similar).

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (required); Black Belt (preferred).
• Experience in manufacturing and industries.
• Familiarity with quality management systems (QMS) and auditing processes.
• Effective communication and facilitation skills.

We highly encourage you to apply so we can connect on this and future opportunities.