ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Operational Excellence Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Aramark

Operational Excellence Director

Converse, TX · On-site

The Director, Operational Excellence is a senior leadership role within Aramark?s Salute program ? our military and defense food service brand operating across U.S. military installations nationwide.

Staffworks

Operational Excellence Manager

Marcy, NY · On-site

$110K/yr

Operational Excellence Manager Location: Utica, NY Industry: Liquid Cooling Component Manufacturing & Distribution Starting Salary: $110,000 per year Competitive benefits package and career growth ...

Bayer

Operational Excellence Lead

Myerstown, PA

Operational Excellence Lead This role leads all Operational Excellence and Capabilities activities, for the CH PS NA Myerstown site. The role leads a dynamic team and is accountable to spearhead the ...

Aramco

Operational Excellence Specialist

Denver, CO · On-site

Overview Engineering Services are seeking an Operational Excellence (OE) Professional to join our Operational Excellence Center of Excellence (OECOE) within Engineering Services. OECOE are ...

Aramark

Operational Excellence Director

Dallas, TX · On-site

The Director, Operational Excellence is a senior leadership role within Aramark?s Salute program ? our military and defense food service brand operating across U.S. military installations nationwide.

Aramco

Operational Excellence Specialist

Aurora, CO · On-site

Overview Engineering Services are seeking an Operational Excellence (OE) Professional to join our Operational Excellence Center of Excellence (OECOE) within Engineering Services. OECOE are ...

PPG

Operational Excellence Manager

Delaware, OH

As the Operational Excellence Manager, Americas for PPG, you will help build a culture of Operational Excellence across multiple manufacturing sites within your region. Working with the Americas ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsOperational Excellence Jobs

Operational Excellence information

See salary details

$11

$21

$31

How much do operational excellence jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for operational excellence in the United States is $21.30, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.83 and $24.28 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What types of projects or initiatives does someone in Operational Excellence typically lead or participate in?

Professionals in Operational Excellence are often involved in projects that focus on streamlining business processes, reducing waste, and increasing quality and efficiency across departments. Typical initiatives might include leading value stream mapping sessions, conducting root cause analyses, facilitating Kaizen events, and implementing new best practices or technologies to optimize workflow. These roles frequently require cross-functional collaboration with teams in production, quality, supply chain, finance, and IT to drive impactful change. Depending on the organization, you may also be responsible for training teams on process improvement methodologies and tracking the measurable results of these efforts.

What does an Operational Excellence job entail?

An Operational Excellence job focuses on improving business processes, efficiency, and overall performance by implementing best practices, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma. Professionals in this role work to optimize workflows, reduce waste, and enhance productivity across various departments. They collaborate with leadership teams to drive a culture of continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Operational Excellence position, and why are they important?

To thrive in Operational Excellence, you need a solid understanding of process improvement methodologies (like Lean or Six Sigma), data analysis, and change management, often backed by relevant certifications such as Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt. Familiarity with analytical and process mapping tools like Microsoft Visio, Minitab, and ERP systems is highly beneficial. Exceptional communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities are vital for driving cross-functional initiatives and engaging teams. These skills are crucial for identifying inefficiencies, implementing sustainable improvements, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within an organization.

More about Operational Excellence jobs
What cities are hiring for Operational Excellence jobs? Cities with the most Operational Excellence job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Operational Excellence jobs? The most popular types of Operational Excellence jobs are:
What states have the most Operational Excellence jobs? States with the most job openings for Operational Excellence jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Operational Excellence jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Operational Excellence jobs are:
Operational Excellence jobs near you
Infographic showing various Operational Excellence job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $44,307 per year, or $21.3 per hour.
Director Operational Excellence

Director Operational Excellence

Hearthside Food Solutions LLC

Downers Grove, IL • On-site

$181K - $272K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Posted 20 days ago

Hearthside Food Solutions rating

5.9

Company rating: 5.9 out of 10

Based on 34 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

305th of 389 rated food and drinks producers

Job description

Job Summary
The Director, Operational Excellence is a senior operations leader responsible for driving enterprise-wide operational excellence initiatives focused on efficiency, standardization, and sustained performance improvement across the manufacturing network. This role leads a team of Change Agents and partners closely with site leadership and cross-functional teams to embed continuous improvement principles, standardize processes, and deliver measurable business results.
The Director operates as both a strategist and hands-on leader-identifying optimization opportunities, prioritizing initiatives, and ensuring disciplined execution across multiple plants. The role requires extensive travel to manufacturing locations to assess operations, coach leaders, and ensure improvements are fully adopted and sustained.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Operational Excellence Strategy
  • Own and lead the enterprise Operational Excellence roadmap, ensuring alignment with business strategy and performance goals
  • Define and standardize best practices for Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, Daily Management Systems, and Tiered Accountability
  • Ensure consistent deployment and sustainment of Operational Excellence principles across all manufacturing sites

Leadership of Change Agent Team
  • Directly manage, coach, and develop a team of Change Agents responsible for executing improvement initiatives at the site level
  • Translate enterprise priorities into clear project charters, expectations, and success metrics for Change Agents
  • Review site diagnostics, action plans, and results; remove barriers and escalate risks as needed

Build organizational capability by developing Change Agents as strong CI practitioners and change leaders
Network Optimization & Project Execution
  • Travel extensively across the manufacturing network to assess processes, performance routines, and operational maturity
  • Identify productivity, cost, quality, safety, and service improvement opportunities and convert them into actionable initiatives
  • Lead and sponsor cross functional, multi-site projects from opportunity identification through implementation and sustainment
  • Develop business cases, quantify benefits, and track financial and operational impact

Change Leadership & Adoption
  • Serve as the enterprise change leader for Operational Excellence
  • Ensure alignment and buy in from plant leadership and functional partners for new ways of working
  • Guide communication, engagement, and reinforcement strategies to drive adoption and behavioral change
  • Coach site leaders and frontline teams to embed CI behaviors into daily operations

Performance Management & Governance
  • Establish enterprise KPIs, visual management standards, and governance routines to track progress and sustain gains
  • Review and challenge site performance data, ensuring disciplined follow up and accountability
  • Ensure consistent reporting of results, lessons learned, and best practices across the network

Capability Building & Culture
  • Build internal CI capability by overseeing training, workshops, kaizens, and problem solving routines facilitated by Change Agents
  • Foster a culture of accountability, discipline, and continuous improvement across operations
  • Reinforce and role model behaviors aligned with Operational Excellence principles

Qualifications
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field (or equivalent manufacturing experience)
  • Years of Experience: 10+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience
  • Previous Experience:
    • Prior experience as a Plant Manager, Engineering Leader, Continuous Improvement Leader, or Operations Leader
    • Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-site operational improvement initiatives
    • Deep working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, Daily Management, and performance systems
    • Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive change without direct authority
  • Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification (or equivalent) preferred
  • Travel: Willingness to travel extensively across the manufacturing network (~75%)
  • Skills:
    • Demonstrated ability to lead and sustain large enterprise-wide change initiatives
    • Advanced analytical mindset with the ability to interpret operational data, identify root causes, quantify impacts, and make fact-based decisions that improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity.
    • Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate insights, recommendations, and outcomes to senior leaders and plant teams, influencing decisions without direct authority.

The pay range for this full-time, salaried position is $181,604-$272,406/year. Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. The position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive based on company and individual performance. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment.
#Remote
#JO-1
Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

What Hearthside Food Solutions employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply