Director, Operational Excellence

Job summary

The Director, Operational Excellence is responsible for leading the Boulder site's Operational Excellence strategy and a global portfolio of continuous improvement initiatives, transformational projects, and Lean maturity programs that drive sustainable business performance and customer value. This role provides leadership to a team of Operational Excellence professionals and partners closely with business leaders across the organization to accelerate continuous improvement, strengthen organizational capabilities, and deliver measurable operational and financial results.

The Director serves as a catalyst for cultural transformation by embedding Operational Excellence principles into daily operations, developing Lean leaders at all levels, and empowering employees to identify and implement meaningful improvements. Through coaching, capability building, strategy deployment, and cross-functional collaboration, the Director ensures the successful execution of improvement initiatives while establishing robust, scalable, and sustainable business processes that support the organization's strategic objectives. This role is accountable for fostering a culture of continuous improvement, operational discipline, innovation, and accountability across the global network.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the development and deployment of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) framework and strategy to support business objectives and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Identify, prioritize, and drive global, site, and functional improvement opportunities that enhance customer value, improve performance, and eliminate waste through Lean methodologies, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, and Strategy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri).
• Develop and manage a portfolio of transformational continuous improvement initiatives across the enterprise, ensuring alignment with global, site, and functional objectives.
• Lead high-impact, cross-functional improvement projects from opportunity identification through implementation and sustainability, delivering measurable business results.
• Build organizational capability through coaching, mentoring, training, and development of OpEx leaders, enabling teams to independently drive continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Lead and support a network of Operational Excellence practitioners, ensuring alignment in project execution, reporting, recognition, communication, and best practice sharing across the organization.
• Partner with business and functional leaders to establish meaningful performance metrics, drive data-based decision-making, and improve operational effectiveness.
• Design and deliver scalable OpEx tools, learning programs, and capability-building initiatives that accelerate adoption, competency development, and continuous improvement maturity.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to identify improvement opportunities, remove barriers, and ensure sustained achievement of project benefits.
• Champion business process management principles to simplify workflows, eliminate non-value-added activities, and drive process standardization, innovation, and performance.
• Support the integration of digital, automation, and AI-enabled solutions within the Operational Excellence framework to eliminate waste, improve productivity, enhance process visibility, and accelerate continuous improvement outcomes.
• Develop and communicate compelling operational performance reports, dashboards, presentations, and visual management tools that support transparency, engagement, and decision-making.
• Provide strategic guidance to ensure business transformations, organizational changes, capital investments, and operational initiatives align with the enterprise OpEx strategy.
• Promote alignment between Operational Excellence initiatives and the organization's culture, values, and strategic priorities.
• Support operational assessments, risk management activities, technology implementations, and manufacturing innovation initiatives as required.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in Lean, Six Sigma, Change Management, Business Process Management, and Strategy Deployment methodologies.
• Lead and support site leadership in reporting, KPIs, risk management, problem solving, and decision making
• Lead and support site culture initiatives, events, communication, engagement, and recognition programs.
• Act as a visible change leader by modeling Operational Excellence behaviors, advocating continuous improvement principles, and driving sustainable cultural adoption across the organization.

Minimum Requirements

• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide Operational Excellence, Lean, and Six Sigma transformations that deliver measurable and sustainable business results.
• Deep expertise in designing, implementing, and sustaining Operational Excellence systems and tools, including Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Visual Management, Kanban, Mistake-Proofing, Business Process Management (BPM), Strategy Deployment (Hoshin Kanri), and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• ·Proven ability to develop and execute Operational Excellence strategies, governance models, roadmaps, and maturity plans that align improvement efforts with enterprise objectives.
• Experience leading large-scale business transformations that improve productivity, quality, delivery, customer experience, employee engagement, and financial performance.
• Strong Business Process Management expertise, including process architecture, ownership models, process performance measurement, process standardization, and continuous optimization across end-to-end value streams.
• Demonstrated capability to leverage digital technologies, advanced analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making to accelerate operational performance and continuous improvement outcomes.
• Proven ability to lead complex, multi-site, and global improvement initiatives within matrixed organizations, influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Expert facilitation skills in Kaizen events, Rapid Problem Solving workshops, Value Stream Mapping sessions, leadership alignment activities, and strategic planning processes.
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to identify opportunities, quantify benefits, build business cases, establish value realization plans, and deliver measurable operational and financial results.
• Ability to analyze operational, statistical, and financial data to identify trends, solve complex problems, mitigate risk, and support fact-based decision-making.
• Exceptional executive presence and stakeholder management skills, with demonstrated success influencing senior leaders, aligning competing priorities, and driving organizational commitment to change.
• Experience developing and executing culture transformation initiatives that embed Operational Excellence principles, accountability, continuous improvement behaviors, and performance management into everyday ways of working.
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and talent development skills with a proven track record of building high-performing teams, developing Lean leaders, and mentoring employees through Lean Six Sigma certification and capability-building programs.
• Experience developing and deploying modern learning solutions, including instructor-led training, e-learning, simulations, workshops, and blended learning approaches that accelerate capability development and adoption.
• Outstanding written, verbal, visual, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts into compelling messages for frontline teams, leaders, and executives.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge conventional thinking, drive innovation, simplify complexity, and lead breakthrough improvements that generate sustainable competitive advantage.
• Experience leading change initiatives in GMP-regulated and highly regulated environments required.
• Strong commitment to collaboration, ownership, innovation, continuous improvement, simplification, and operational excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Lean Sensei, Six Sigma Black Belt, or Master Black Belt certification required.
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and certifying others through Lean Six Sigma and Operational Excellence development programs required.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Business, Operations, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Fifteen (15) or more years of progressive leadership experience in Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Lean Transformation, Manufacturing Excellence, or related disciplines, including leadership of people, programs, and organizational transformation efforts.

Salary range: $163,680 -$225,060

Salary range provided per current averages and expectations. The salary and job title for this opening will be based on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience and may be outside this range. KBI has a robust total rewards strategy which includes an annual bonus structure for all employees, medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid PTO and holidays, 401K matching with 100% vesting in 60 days and employee recognition programs.   

KBI Biopharma, Inc. is an EEO/AA employer and actively seeks to diversify its work force. Therefore, all qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status, are strongly encouraged to apply.

I understand that neither the completion of this application nor any other part of my consideration for employment establishes any obligation for KBI Biopharma, Inc. to hire me. If I am hired, I understand that either KBI Biopharma, Inc. or I can terminate my employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and without prior notice. I understand that no representative of KBI Biopharma, Inc. has the authority to make any assurance to the contrary.

I attest with my signature below that I have given to KBI Biopharma, Inc. true and complete information on this application. No requested information has been concealed. I authorize KBI Biopharma, Inc. to contact references provided for employment reference checks. If any information I have provided is untrue, or if I have concealed material information, I understand that this will constitute cause for the denial of employment or immediate dismissal.