Purpose and role of job:
The Operational Excellence Leader develops frontline capability by coaching team members and leaders in Operational Excellence principles, standard work, equipment ownership, and root cause problem-solving. Operating primarily on the manufacturing floor during night shift, this role observes work practices, provides real-time feedback, and reinforces behaviors that drive safe, consistent, and reliable operations. Success is achieved by enabling teams to sustain improvements independently, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across shifts.
Principal Accountabilities/ Responsibilities:
- Maintain a strong, daily presence on the manufacturing floor during night shift to observe work practices and identify coaching opportunities.
- Coach equipment technicians, maintenance resources, leads, and supervisors on Operational Excellence principles, standard work (Daily Risk Assessments), and safe operating procedures.
- Reinforce consistent execution of daily management systems, visual controls, and effective shift communication and handoff practices.
- Promote equipment ownership by guiding team members in Cleaning-to-Inspect, Defect Handling, and Breakdown Elimination activities.
- Support structured problem-solving and continuous improvement to address recurring losses and sustain improvements.
- Assist with onboarding, skill qualification, and cross-training initiatives to build workforce flexibility across the site.
- Develop and maintain One Point Lessons and other training materials to capture and transfer operational knowledge, sustaining learnings from problem solving.
- Partner with supervisors and leads to strengthen coaching effectiveness, leadership floor presence, and accountability.
- Encourage a culture of ownership, accountability, and proactive problem resolution.
- Provide feedback to leaders on team development opportunities and reinforce adherence to operational standards.
Qualifications/ education and experience requirements:
(e.g. degrees, certificates of specific trainings)
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience in manufacturing, maintenance, operations, or technical training.
- Proven track record of coaching, mentoring, and developing others in a work environment.
- Ability to work primarily night shift with flexibility for day shift activities and training events.
- Experience in manufacturing leadership, reliability, or continuous improvement roles.
- Familiarity with Operational Excellence, TPM, Lean, or similar systems.
- Experience developing training materials and One Point Lessons.
- Knowledge of equipment ownership practices and proactive maintenance.
- Experience in paper, tissue, converting, packaging, or continuous manufacturing operations.
Skills/ competencies requirements:
(e.g., analytical, teamwork, problem solving, ability to use certain equipment, etc.)
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage and influence employees at all levels.
- Ability to influence without direct authority and build trust with diverse teams.
- Keen observation skills to identify coaching opportunities and operational gaps.
- Strong problem-solving capability with a structured, fact-based approach.
- Ability to reinforce safe work practices and adherence to operating standards.
- Skilled at translating operational learning into practical training materials.
- Commitment to fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Adaptability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and respond to changing priorities.
Work Environment (if applicable):
- Role is based on the manufacturing floor during static night shift operations (supports A & B crew), with occasional day shift work to support training, meetings, or business needs.
- Daily interaction with operators, technicians, team leads, and supervisors in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment.
- Exposure to industrial equipment, moving machinery, and varying noise levels; hearing protection and other PPE required.
- Environment may include temperature variations depending on production areas.
- Strong floor presence is expected, with limited time spent in an office setting.
Physical and Other Requirements (if appliable):
- Work involves standing, walking, and moving throughout the facility for extended periods.
- May require climbing stairs, bending, or reaching to observe equipment and processes.
- Travel between departments or production lines within the facility is routine; occasional travel to other company sites may be required.
Direct Reports (if applicable):
None
Disclaimer:
The above information on this job description has been described to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents. Other duties and responsibilities not specifically described may be assigned from time to time, consistent with knowledge, skills and abilities of the incumbent.
First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.
First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.
