Job DescriptionSenior Director Operational Cost Excellence - Decatur, Illinois or other Major Plant locationsADM is seeking for Senior Director Operational Cost Excellence to directly influence Business Unit margin performance by improving operational capability rather than relying on short-term cost containment. Success in this position creates durable competitive advantage through higher asset productivity, lower variability, and improved cost discipline.
The Senior Director, Operational Cost Excellence is responsible for driving structural, sustainable cost improvement across manufacturing, supply chain, and asset-intensive operations. This role leads Business Unit-wide initiatives focused on productivity, yield improvement, energy optimization, reliability, and process capability using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
The successful individual partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Finance to reduce cost per unit, improve asset utilization, and embed a culture of continuous improvement. The role ensures that operational improvements translate into verified EBITDA impact.
Key ResponsibilitiesOperational Productivity & Cost Reduction
- Lead enterprise programs to reduce cost per ton/unit across manufacturing sites.
- Identify and close performance gaps in OEE, yield, labor productivity, and overhead absorption.
- Standardize productivity metrics and benchmarking across plants.
- Drive structural cost improvements vs. short-term expense cuts.
Lean Six Sigma Deployment- Sponsor and govern Lean Six Sigma (DMAIC) initiatives across operations.
- Partner with Master Black Belts and plant CI leaders to prioritize high-impact projects.
- Ensure project selection aligns with enterprise financial goals.
- Institutionalize control-phase sustainability practices.
Yield & Process Optimization- Lead yield variance analysis and loss-tree identification.
- Reduce process variability and improve Cp/Cpk on critical parameters.
- Drive waste elimination and by-product optimization.
- Promote replication of best practices across the network.
Energy & Utilities Optimization- Reduce energy intensity per unit of production.
- Standardize energy performance dashboards.
- Partner with Engineering to identify capital-light efficiency opportunities.
- Drive accountability for energy cost management.
Asset & Maintenance Cost Excellence- Improve maintenance cost per unit through reliability-centered practices.
- Increase planned vs. reactive maintenance ratios.
- Optimize spare parts inventory and contractor spend.
- Reduce downtime and improve MTBF.
Network & Throughput Optimization- Identify bottlenecks and throughput constraints.
- Improve asset utilization and debottleneck capacity.
- Support footprint optimization and capacity rationalization initiatives.
Financial Impact & Governance- Partner with Finance to validate savings and prevent double counting.
- Separate volume/mix effects from productivity gains.
- Track and report structural vs. one-time savings.
- Establish cost baselines and performance scorecards.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (MBA preferred).
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing or asset-intensive industries.
- Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable operational cost reduction.
- Deep knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, OEE, reliability, and process capability methods.
- Strong financial acumen with experience linking operational KPIs to P&L impact.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams in multi-site or global environments.
Preferred Certifications- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt
- TPM or Reliability certification
- Project Management certification (PMP)
Key Competencies- Operational credibility and technical depth
- Structured problem solving
- Data-driven decision making
- Change leadership
- Cross-functional influence
- Executive communication
Success Metrics- Reduction in cost per unit/ton
- Improvement in OEE and yield
- Energy intensity reduction
- Increase in planned maintenance ratio
- Sustained EBITDA improvement from operations
- Replication rate of best practices across sites
Excited about this role but don't meet every requirement listed? Studies show that often applicants will self-select out if they don't check every box. We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.
ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.
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About ADM At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We're a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world's premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.
#IncludingYouDiversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are cornerstones of ADM's efforts to continue innovating, driving growth, and delivering outstanding performance. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and create welcoming, truly inclusive work environments - environments that enable every ADM colleague to feel comfortable on the job, make meaningful contributions to our success, and grow their career. We respect and value the unique backgrounds and experiences that each person can bring to ADM because we know that diversity of perspectives makes us better, together.
We welcome everyone to apply. We are committed to ensuring all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law
Benefits and Perks Enriching the quality of life for the world begins by taking care of our colleagues. In addition to competitive pay, we support your diverse needs with a comprehensive total rewards package to enhance your well-being, including:
- Physical wellness - medical/Rx, dental, vision and on-site wellness center access or gym reimbursement (as applicable).
- Financial wellness - flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan, discounted employee stock purchasing program, life insurance, disability, workers' compensation, legal assistance, identity theft protection.
- Mental and social wellness - Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares).
Additional benefits include:
- Paid time off including paid holidays.
- Adoption assistance and paid maternity and parental leave.
- Tuition assistance.
- Company-sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.
*Benefits may vary for bargained locations, confirm benefit eligibility with your recruiter.
Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours.
If hired, employees will be in an "at-will position" and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
The pay range for this position is expected to be between:
