Director of Operational Excellence

The Director of Operational Excellence is a hands-on, global improvement leader responsible for driving measurable performance improvements across OTR’s manufacturing, assembly, warehouse, and distribution operations. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role will establish operational standards and KPIs, identify performance gaps, implement Lean and continuous-improvement practices, and lead initiatives that reduce costs, improve labor efficiency, increase throughput, and strengthen execution. The position will work closely with facility and functional leaders and may be based in Rome, GA; Fort Worth, TX; Omaha, NE; or Evansville, IN.

Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

1. Develops, standardizes, and maintains a global operational KPI framework covering safety, delivery, productivity, labor efficiency, throughput, inventory accuracy, cost, and other key measures.
2. Creates clear KPI definitions, data ownership, reporting routines, targets, and accountability mechanisms so performance can be compared consistently across facilities and regions.
3. Partners with the COO and operational leaders to identify the highest-value improvement opportunities and establish a prioritized operational-excellence roadmap.
4. Leads Lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement implementation, including visual management, standard work, 5S, value-stream mapping, root-cause analysis, daily management, and structured problem-solving.
5. Drives the standardization and adoption of best practices globally while allowing appropriate flexibility for local customers, regulatory, and facility requirements.
6. Conducts site assessments and operational reviews; identify bottlenecks, waste, process variation, capacity constraints, and opportunities to improve flow and execution.
7. Leads cost-reduction initiatives involving labor, overtime, scrap, rework, material usage, freight, equipment utilization, facility capacity, and other operating costs.
8. Improves process design and labor efficiency through workload analysis, line balancing, staffing models, standard work, cross-training, and appropriate use of technology and automation.
9. Builds business cases for improvement projects, quantify expected benefits, tracks implementation, and verify that savings and productivity gains are realized and sustained.
10. Coaches facility leaders and cross-functional teams in Lean principles, practical problem-solving, and disciplined execution; builds internal capability rather than relying solely on outside consultants.
11. Facilitates regular operating reviews with site and functional leaders and provide concise performance updates, risks, actions, and results to the COO and executive leadership team.
12. Collaborates with Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, Safety, IT, and Human Resources to ensure improvement initiatives are practical, aligned, and sustained.
13. Supports the development of annual operating plans and capital requests by providing data-driven analysis of capacity, productivity, labor, and process-improvement opportunities.
14. Performs other duties and special projects assigned by the Chief Operating Officer

Competencies:

1. Communication Proficiency
2. Time Management
3. Collaboration Skills
4. Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
5. Ethical Responsibility
6. Critical Thinking
7. Negotiation Proficiency

Required Skills / Abilities:

1. Strong written and verbal communication skills
2. Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
3. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
4. Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
5. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
6. Strong Leadership skills with proven ability to develop employees.
7. Experience in managing senior staff, employees, and available resources.
8. A high level of business acumen and awareness.
9. Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
10. Sense of urgency and drive in meeting deadlines.
11. Demonstrated ability to improve operational productivity, warehouse throughput, and fulfillment performance.
12. Experience implementing operational process improvements such as Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies.
13. Strong understanding of distribution, inventory management, and warehouse operations.

Supervisory Responsibility:

The role will provide direct day-to-day guidance to Regional Directors or VPs of Operations. The position is responsible for ensuring operational alignment across all facilities, including warehouse operations, distribution, and light manufacturing/assembly. The role will be responsible for completing performance evaluations review, compensation reviews, and support in onboarding and offboarding process.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. At times, employee might be exposed to manufacturing environment, including forklift traffic, fumes, noise, and operating manufacturing equipment.

Physical Demands:

1. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
2. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00PM. In order to meet our customer demands and internal objectives, at times this role will be required to work outside of the normal schedule, including weekends.

Travel:

Travel is expected for this role. Willingness to travel regularly to OTR facilities, including international locations, as business needs require.

Required Education and Experience:

1. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Engineering, or equivalent work experience and/or education.
2. 8 or more years of progressive experience in operational excellence, manufacturing engineering, continuous improvement, plant operations, industrial engineering, or a related discipline
3. Track record of successfully achieving positive financial results.
4. Strong ability to analyze operational data, define meaningful performance measures, identify root causes, build improvement cases, and quantify financial impact.
5. Demonstrated experience implementing Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar improvement methodologies in a hands-on operating environment.
6. Track record of gaining adoption from plant and functional leaders, translating concepts into practical action, and sustaining improvements after implementation.

Preferred Education and Experience:

1. Experience working in manufacturing or national distribution industries.
2. Master’s degree in relevant field of study.
3. Experience in a multi-site or global environment.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Other job duties and responsibilities may also be assigned by the incumbent’s manager at any time based upon Company need.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Operations management: 8 years (Required)
• Lean management: 5 years (Preferred)
• Lean manufacturing: 5 years (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rome, GA 30161