Operations Manager

About the Role

A leading U.S.-based manufacturing organization is seeking an Operations Excellence Manager to drive process optimization and lead the functional side of their D365 transformation. This is a high-impact role for someone who understands manufacturing operations deeply, has led ERP/MES implementations, and is comfortable guiding the business—not taking orders from it.

You will serve as the primary operations representative for all D365 Operations initiatives and future system enhancements, working closely with operations, supply chain, and IT leadership to shape processes, drive improvements, and ensure seamless alignment with the organization’s manufacturing systems.

Key Responsibilities

Process Analysis & Improvement

• Assess current manufacturing workflows, identify gaps, and design improved processes.
• Lead operational change management connected to D365 and related systems.

System Implementation & Functional Leadership

• Support and guide D365, MES, SCM, and PLM system implementations and enhancements.
• Provide functional direction—configuration, requirements, testing—not development.

Requirements & Documentation

• Gather, validate, and translate business requirements into functional specifications.
• Create process maps, configuration documentation, and training materials.

Data & Reporting

• Analyze manufacturing, inventory, and supply chain data.
• Build or guide reporting/dashboards using data tools (Power BI, Tableau, SQL).

Project Management

• Lead small to mid-sized projects tied to operations system improvements.
• Ensure milestones, deadlines, and cross-functional alignment.

Training & Support

• Train end users and support adoption across operations and supply chain teams.
• Troubleshoot issues and ensure smooth daily system usage.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with IT, engineering, production, and supply chain to align systems with business goals.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, quality, and internal standards.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Engineering, or related field
• 5 years of manufacturing operations experience
• 3–5 years supporting ERP systems (D365 strongly preferred; SAP/Oracle acceptable)
• Experience with MES, SCM, PLM, or other manufacturing systems
• Proven experience designing, mapping, and improving manufacturing processes
• Strong data analysis skills (SQL, Power BI, Tableau)
• Experience with process mapping tools (Visio, Lucidchart)
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to lead business stakeholders
• Prior experience driving ERP implementation or major process transformation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in food, beverage, ingredients, or process manufacturing
• Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement certification
• Exposure to Industry 4.0, IoT, or smart manufacturing technologies
• Project management certifications (PMP, Prince2) or CBAP