Senior Manager, Operational Excellence

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Ready to bring fresh energy to your career? At Lee Kum Kee, we’re committed to your growth, offering a place where creativity and innovation thrive. If you're eager to make an impact and advance your career, apply today and start adding flavor to your professional life!

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded in 1888, Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based global food company, specializes in creating condiments and sauces that promote Chinese cuisine worldwide. With more than 300 products to choose from, Lee Kum Kee takes the mystery out of cooking authentic and delicious Asian foods in the comfort of your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is committed to providing authentic and innovative condiments and sauces featuring the highest quality ingredients. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century long brand reputation, Lee Kum Kee has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards.

BENEFITS 

• Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance coverage   


• 401(k) Retirement Plan through Principal


• Two (2) Weeks Vacation


• Ten (10) Paid Holidays


• Five (5) Sick Days


• …And More! 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Manager, Operational Excellence (OpEx) is responsible for leading performance improvement initiatives across Lee Kum Kee Foods, Inc. Operations in the US. This role drives the design, implementation, and sustainability of effective operating systems, tools, and a culture of continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing organization. This role is expected to lead the deployment of the Lee Kum Kee Operating System (LOS) to support the achievement of both short- and long-term site business objectives.

In this role, the Senior Manager, OpEx partners closely with manufacturing leadership to coach and develop teams in operational excellence methodologies that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. This position also represents the manufacturing site within the global, cross-site, and cross-functional Operational Excellence community, sharing best practices and contributing to enterprise-wide performance improvement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

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

• Maintain and develop a platform for a result-oriented, customer driven, team work-focused enterprise with modern management systems.


• Work with the Plant Manager and leadership team to identify and develop clear improvement objectives in Safety, Quality, Service and Cost

• Deploy the LOS to ensure sustainable delivery of these objectives.


• Serve as the LOS expert, teaching and developing the team on the lean journey.


• Measure and adjust LOS deployment based on KPI’s to assure constant development

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of site performance, including losses, cost, OEE etc

• Serve as PMO facilitator in COGS management initiatives to assure project identification, process management, project reporting and goal accomplishment.


• Develop a deep understanding of OEE, loss and cost drivers.


• Serve as process expert for cost optimization model.


• Coach the loss elimination teams and introduce lean tools as appropriate.

• Develop a comprehensive plan to drive a performance improvement culture.

• Fully engage leadership team in embracing a performance culture.


• Build the LOS capabilities throughout the organization, including daily problem solving, team activities and routine ways of working 


• Help to develop and support a network between LKK operations to assure best practice sharing and implementation.  Help create an LOS playbook for shared use among plants.




• Lead continuous improvement activities projects and masterplan for the US operations.
  
  
  
  • Lead or co-lead the implementation of the factory digital transformation strategy.
  
  
  • Work with the CAPEX team in design for efficiency and master planning initiatives.
  
  
  • Drive the implementation of key improvement projects related to Safety, Quality, Service and Cost.
  
  

• Proactively search new market trends, new technologies, and innovations to increase manufacturing capacity and perfomance.


• Partner with HR function to develop an integrated talent management system to build, and develop a team with over several hundred members in multi-locations while complying with regulations and policies.


• Other duties, responsibilities, and projects may be assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related field. 


• 5 years progressive experience working in a production facility (food preferred)


• 3 years of experience leading Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Lean, or similar performance improvement initiatives


• Demonstrated success deploying and sustaining operating systems (e.g., Lean, TPM, WCM, or a company-specific operating system)


• Training or certification in Lean Manufacturing; 6 Sigma or other relevant training is preferred. 


• Able to apply various Lean tools to improve efficiency and productivity. Practical experience in generating VSM, TPM, SMED and its related improvement process is required. 


• Change Management skillset.


• Demonstrated skills managing through influence across function, with excellent communication and influencing skills


• Leadership attributes: self-motivated, ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and ability to make recommendations and influence targeted customers.


• Knowledge or experience in Digital factory implementations is a plus


• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 


• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.


• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.  


• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  


• Ability to effectively present information to groups


• Ability to effectively facilitate team meetings and discussions

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.