Operational Excellence Manager

Description

Join us at GEOKON Inc (est. 1979), a proud 100% ESOP company and The World Leader in Vibrating Wire Technology®, in the manufacturing of instrumentation and data logger used in civil, mining and structural engineering projects throughout the world. We continuously seek new and experienced talent to assist us in not only creating and implementing great products that our customers need, but also, to maintain and grow our fantastic culture built on integrity and respect. If our goals and values resonate with you, we would love to connect!

Are you passionate about solving complex problems and building processes that perform? Bring that drive and passion to GEOKON, where your work will make a measurable difference!

As GEOKON'S Operational Excellence Manager, you will own our continuous improvement program and make our manufacturing operations safer, faster, and leaner. Reporting to the VP of Operations, you'll lead a team of Manufacturing Process Engineers and partner with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain to build a culture where everyone owns improvement. Your impact will show up in real results, every day!

Requirements

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Identify, prioritize, and lead improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis tools.
• Establish and maintain an improvement project pipeline with clear scope, owners, timelines, and projected savings; validate realized savings.
• Compile and analyze data from the ERP/MRP system, production reports, and quality records to identify bottlenecks, waste, and opportunities to improve throughput, yield, and cost.
• Lead and facilitate Kaizen events and cross-functional improvement teams, ensuring actions are completed and gains are sustained.
•  Support the implementation of our new ERP system. That includes mapping and improving current processes, defining requirements, cleaning up routings and bills of materials, testing, and training users. 

Leadership and Employee Development

• Directly supervise, coach, mentor, and motivate the Manufacturing Process Engineers (MPEs).
• Set clear goals and priorities for the MPEs, assign and balance project workloads, and remove obstacles to timely completion.
• Execution of personnel actions with HR, such as hiring, evaluations, promotions/job transfers, salary adjustments, disciplinary actions, and terminations.

Standards and Procedures

• Ensure and enforce the adherence to all procedures, policies, and processes by employees.
• Ensure work instructions, process documentation, and standard work are created, controlled, and kept current.
• Ensure improvement projects and process changes comply with ISO and other applicable quality system requirements and are properly documented and validated.
• Ensure implementation and adherence to health and safety rules, regulations, and procedures.

Manufacturing Process Engineering

• Oversee the work of the MPEs in developing, optimizing, and documenting manufacturing processes, routings, and cycle times.
• Ensure the MPEs support new product introduction and engineering changes so that products are designed for manufacturability and transferred smoothly into production.
• Oversee the evaluation, justification, and implementation of capital equipment, tooling, fixtures, and automation projects, including ROI analysis.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, or Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least 5 years leading continuous improvement initiatives or engineering staff.
• Demonstrated success applying Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies, with a proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and productivity improvements.
• Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the capability to analyze complex operational issues and implement effective solutions.
• Strong analytical skills, including statistical analysis and the ability to build financial justifications for improvement and capital projects.
• Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office Suite – Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook). 
• Strong understanding of business operations and functions, such as Quality, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Inventory.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and change-management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers.
• Experience in a machining/manufacturing/fabrication environment and familiarity with ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Ability to interpret specifications, engineering drawings, schematics, and job orders.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP Software required.
• Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary customer service, both internally and externally.
• Ability to multi-task and must be organized.
• Valid Passport

Preferred:

• Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher). 
• Experience with statistical software such as Minitab. 

This description is intended to indicate the general nature of the role and is not a comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities.

This is an on-site role based at our Lebanon, NH manufacturing facility, where you’ll work hands-on with our production teams every day. Applicants must be able to commute to this location daily. 

What to expect with GEOKON:

• 100% Employee-Owned Company ---When the company does well, so do you, with Employee Stock Ownership
• Dynamic and supportive culture built on innovation, integrity and respect
• Flexible work schedules
• Educational Reimbursement
• Wellness Reimbursement 
• Generous Time Off Policy including 11 paid holidays and up to 24 hours of volunteer time, to support the communities and organizations that matter to you!