1

Senior Manufacturing Excellence Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary: The Manufacturing Excellence Manager is responsible for the development ... Cultural change agent working with hourly operators and senior stakeholders Project Management ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Senior Manufacturing Excellence information

See salary details

$25K

$80.3K

$163.5K

How much do senior manufacturing excellence jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior manufacturing excellence in the United States is $80,287.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $41,500.00 and $103,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional, you need a strong background in process improvement, lean manufacturing, Six Sigma methodologies, and a relevant engineering or technical degree. Familiarity with tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, ERP systems, and certifications like Lean Six Sigma Black Belt are typically required. Exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and change management skills help drive cross-functional teams and sustain improvement initiatives. These abilities are critical for optimizing operations, enhancing productivity, and ensuring continuous improvement in complex manufacturing environments.

What is a Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional?

A Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional is responsible for leading initiatives to improve manufacturing processes, efficiency, and quality within an organization. They analyze current production methods, identify areas for improvement, and implement best practices such as Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies. Typically, they work closely with cross-functional teams to drive operational excellence, reduce costs, and enhance product quality. Their role is critical in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and achieving strategic manufacturing goals.

What are some of the main challenges faced by a Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional when implementing process improvements across teams?

A Senior Manufacturing Excellence professional often encounters challenges such as resistance to change from team members, aligning diverse teams toward common goals, and ensuring consistent application of new processes across shifts and departments. Effective communication and stakeholder engagement are key to overcoming these barriers. Additionally, balancing short-term production targets with long-term improvement initiatives requires strong project management and the ability to prioritize strategic initiatives without disrupting daily operations.

What is the difference between Senior Manufacturing Excellence vs Manufacturing Engineer?

AspectSenior Manufacturing ExcellenceManufacturing Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires Lean Six Sigma certifications, engineering degree, and experience in process improvementRequires engineering degree, often with certifications like Lean or Six Sigma, but less senior-level experience
Work EnvironmentFocuses on strategic process optimization, cross-department collaboration, and continuous improvement initiativesInvolves designing, developing, and implementing manufacturing processes on the production floor
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in manufacturing companies aiming for operational excellenceWidely used in manufacturing plants, automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries

While both roles focus on manufacturing processes, Senior Manufacturing Excellence positions emphasize strategic improvement and leadership, whereas Manufacturing Engineers concentrate on process design and implementation at the operational level.

What cities are hiring for Senior Manufacturing Excellence jobs? Cities with the most Senior Manufacturing Excellence job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Manufacturing Excellence jobs? The most popular types of Manufacturing Excellence jobs are:
What states have the most Senior Manufacturing Excellence jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior Manufacturing Excellence jobs include:
Power Manufacturing Excellence Leader

Power Manufacturing Excellence Leader

International Paper Company

Vicksburg, MS • On-site

$101K - $134K/yr

Full-time

Posted 4 days ago


International Paper rating

7.3

Company rating: 7.3 out of 10

Based on 285 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

299th of 516 rated manufacturers


Job description

Job Description
Position Title:
Power Manufacturing Excellence Leader
Pay Rate:
$101,000-134,600
Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.
Variable pay may provide additional opportunities for financial awards. This job is eligible to participate in IP's short -term incentive plan.
Category/Shift:
Salaried Exempt Full-Time
Physical Location:
3737 Highway 3
Redwood, MS 39156
The Job You Will Perform:
The Area Manufacturing Excellence Leader (AMEL) is a senior process engineer that reports directly to the Mill Manufacturing Excellence Leader (MME), and will be assigned to the Power Area at the Vicksburg Mill. The ME Leader is directly responsible for the Manufacturing Excellence process, which includes year-over-year (YOY) continuous improvement in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, reliability and cost reduction. They are a dedicated resource for improvement projects in their assigned operating area or mill wide, as necessary. The expectation is that a minimum of 75% of the ME Leader's time will involve activities related to Cost Reduction and Deliberate Improvement. The ME Leader must ensure close coordination with resources at all levels of the organization, including Business Unit Managers, Area Managers, and the "improve" resources, to ensure the department's improvement plan is coordinated and cohesive.
The AMEL is responsible for developing future leaders. They will have a varying number of REACH and Process Engineers reporting to them. The development process will include training, coaching and mentoring the engineers in mill operations and International Paper manufacturing excellence processes.
Key Accountabilities:
The Manufacturing Excellence Leader is responsible for:
  • Engage team in safety leadership efforts and encourage/support safe work practices in mill
  • Ensure ME principles are properly utilized in daily operations for continuous improvement
  • Lead Cost Reduction/Deliberate Improvement project identification and execution in Business Unit
  • Support identification and validation of R-Gap and A-Gap opportunities in Business Unit
  • Assist MME and BUM in developing department's annual and long term gap closure plan for identified opportunities and incorporating in the Budget + 3
  • Drive mill initiatives in the department to engage employees in improvement/sustain activities
  • Lead/provide ME support to project teams on budget initiatives (deliberate and continuous)
  • Coordinates the identification, developmental, and successful implementation by results tracking of cost reduction opportunities, both capital and non-capital
  • Support/Mentor GB, YB and WB trainees during certification
  • Support RCFA champion for Power Area
  • Advocate for sustainable improvement practices and systems
  • Mentor and advocate to support department's 5S effort
  • Develop REACH engineers as future operations and maintenance leaders.

The Skills You Will Bring:
  • It is required that the Manufacturing Excellence Leader role be filled by an individual with a strong manufacturing management background and a track record of achieving consistent, significant results through systems and teams.
  • B.S. in Engineering, Business, related degree or experience
  • Manufacturing management experience (First Line Leader, Operations Maintenance Coordinator or Area Manager) is highly preferred
  • Experience with continuous improvement concepts and tools is required
  • Candidate will be expected to become IP Green Belt certified if not already
  • Possess good written and oral communication skills
  • Possess strong computer knowledge and skills that include experience with spreadsheets, word processing, and Minitab (and/or other statistical analysis software)
  • Key Competencies: Managerial Courage, Perspective, Motivating Others, Customer Focus, Learning on the Fly, Organizational Agility, Interpersonal Savvy, Developing Others, Building Effective Teams, Process Management, Organizing, Planning, Managing and Measuring Work, Presentation Skills, and Conflict Management.

What International Paper employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


International Paper logo

About International Paper

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

International Paper is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion.

Industry

Paper manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Memphis, TN, US

Year founded

1898