Director, Operational Excellence

The Director, Operational Excellence, is a hands-on practitioner who supports ESCO sites in deploying the ESCO Operating System (EOS). The person in this role travels to sites to facilitate Kaizen events, take part in key EOS activities, and coach site leaders and teams to strengthen EOS adoption, practice, and results.

Site Presidents and site EOS Managers own and lead EOS deployment at their sites. This role supports them as an experienced practitioner and member of a small central EOS team. The EOS Program Lead owns program strategy and the development of EOS elements, and a peer role owns data, tools, KPIs, and monthly business reviews. This role helps sites put EOS standards into practice on the floor and brings field learning back to improve those standards.

This is a director-level individual contributor role with no direct reports. It works through influence with site leaders and teams. The initial focus is the Aerospace & Defense group, with expansion to other ESCO divisions as EOS deployment grows.

Key Responsibilities

*Site Deployment Support*

• Support site Presidents and EOS Managers in executing their annual EOS deployment plans toward EOS maturity certifications.
• Participate in key EOS activities during site visits, such as MDI, Kaizen events, and Gemba Walks, and provide sites with direct feedback to enhance adoption and practice.
• Help sites put EOS elements into practice, including MDI, Gemba Walks, KPI management, action management, P&R, structured problem solving, and leader standard work.
• Provide sites with continued support to improve EOS adoption, sustainment, and results.

*Kaizen and Improvement Events*

• Plan and facilitate Kaizen events with site teams: scoping and chartering with site leadership, pre-event data collection, team training, current state analysis, implementation on the floor, report-out, and 30/60/90-day follow-up.
• Help sites build and manage their CI pipeline so events are selected based on business priorities, KPI gaps, and financial impact.
• Develop site Kaizen leaders and facilitators so sites can run events on their own and meet their annual Kaizen plan.
• Document event results and savings, and partner with site finance to validate benefits.

*Coaching and Capability Building*

• Deliver EOS training on site, from leadership sessions to hands-on floor training for supervisors and team members.
• Coach site leaders, supervisors, and EOS Managers on daily management, visual management, standard work, and problem solving.
• Support site EOS Managers in developing EOS champions and practitioners at their sites.

*Assessment, Tracking, and Feedback*

• Support EOS maturity assessments and certification readiness reviews, including site tours, interviews, and evidence review.
• Monitor deployment progress, action closure, and sustainment at supported sites, and report status to the EOS Program Lead.
• Help site leaders remove barriers, and raise issues to the EOS Program Lead when deployment is at risk.
• Bring field feedback into the EOS program: what works, what does not, and where process guides, tools, and training need to change.
• Share good practices across sites and connect site teams with each other.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Supply Chain, or related field required.
• 8+ years of experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, Lean, or manufacturing operations, including at least 5 years in a hands-on deployment or practitioner role.
• Has personally facilitated 10 - 20 or more Kaizen events with documented results.
• Hands-on experience practicing and coaching tiered daily management (MDI or similar), Gemba Walks, visual management, standard work, and structured problem solving (A3, PDCA, root cause analysis).
• Experience in a company with a structured operating or business system strongly preferred. Must be a U.S. Person and able to provide appropriate documentation
• Experience supporting deployment across multiple sites preferred.
• Plant or operations leadership experience preferred. Credibility with site leaders and on the floor is essential.
• Aerospace, defense, industrial, or complex high-mix manufacturing experience preferred.
• Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Must be a U.S. Person with a valid US passport with the ability to travel internationally.

Required Capabilities

• Practitioner first: comfortable on the shop floor and leading teams through hands-on change.
• Strong event facilitation, with the ability to lead mixed teams from operators to executives.
• Direct, constructive coaching of leaders at all levels, including senior leaders.
• Business acumen: connects improvement work to KPIs, EBIT, and customer commitments.
• Ability to adapt to sites at different maturity levels without lowering the standard.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Self-directed and organized; manages a multi-site schedule with limited supervision.
• High accountability for follow-through and sustainment.

Travel

Expected travel of approximately 60% to 80%, primarily domestic, with some international travel to sites in Mexico and the UK. A typical site visit runs 3 to 5 days, such as a Kaizen event week or a site support visit covering MDI, Gemba Walks, and other EOS activities. Candidates should be based near a major airport.

Compensation Information

Base Salary Range: $190,000 - $220,000 USD (Annually)

Actual base salary offered to the hired applicant will be determined based on their work location, level, qualifications, job related skills, as well as relevant education or training experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.