Operational Excellence Manager - Paper Center of Excellence

The Opportunity

As our Operational Excellence Manager, you will play a critical role in embedding a culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline. You’ll partner across functions to drive performance, elevate team capability, and ensure we deliver on our promise of excellence—together, as One Team.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation plus comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with match)
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• A values-driven culture rooted in safety, integrity, innovation, and collaboration
• Robust training and development programs to grow your career
• The opportunity to shape and influence a new Center of Excellence from the ground up

What You’ll Do (Impact & Results)

• Drive Continuous Improvement: Lead and sustain Lean initiatives that improve KPIs, reduce waste, and increase process stability
• Embed Lean & Daily Management Systems: Champion DMS practices to ensure consistent execution and connection to problem-solving at all levels
• Develop People & Capability: Train, coach, and empower managers, supervisors, and team leads to independently apply CI tools and sustain gains
• Enable Problem Solving: Facilitate Kaizens, lead root-cause analysis, and ensure timely follow-through on improvement actions
• Eliminate Constraints: Identify and remove production bottlenecks to improve flow, throughput, and efficiency
• Execute Strategic Initiatives: Support operational priorities using tools like A3 thinking, action planning, and progress tracking (Gantt)

What You Bring (Core Competencies)

• Change Leadership: Proven ability to influence, align, and inspire teams toward a culture of continuous improvement
• Analytical Rigor: Strong problem-solving skills with a data-driven mindset that delivers measurable outcomes
• Communication & Coaching: Ability to clearly communicate, train, and engage cross-functional teams
• Ownership Mindset: Drives accountability, fosters learning, and builds operational discipline
• Collaboration: Builds strong partnerships across functions to align priorities and accelerate results

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of continuous improvement experience in a manufacturing environment
• Deep expertise in Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence principles
• Strong working knowledge of CI methodologies (e.g., Kaizen, 5S, VSM, SMED, FMEA, Root Cause Analysis)
• Experience with data analysis and identifying variation and loss
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with the ability to translate data into actionable plans

Preferred:

• Lean / Six Sigma certification
• Experience in paper converting or related manufacturing environments

Why This Role Matters

This is more than a role—it’s a chance to build, shape, and sustain excellence at one of Dart’s most important facilities. Your leadership will directly impact performance, culture, and long-term success.