Role summary
The Operational Excellence Manager (under the department of Strategic Programs and Operational Excellence) is responsible for leading enterprise-wide operational excellence initiatives across sites, functions, and cross-functional teams. This role drives structured improvement programs that strengthen operational performance, improve process effectiveness, reduce waste, and enhance execution discipline across the organization.
The manager will partner closely with corporate functions, site leadership, operations, engineering, quality, and support teams to identify improvement opportunities, align priorities, mobilize resources, and ensure sustainable implementation of strategic initiatives. Acting as both a program leader and internal change agent, the role promotes a culture of continuous improvement, data-driven problem solving, and cross-site best practice sharing to support business performance and long-term organizational capability building.
Core Responsibilities
A. Drive Operational Excellence Strategy and Roadmap
- Develop and execute the Operational Excellence roadmap aligned with corporate priorities, business goals, and site-level improvement needs.
- Identify, prioritize, and govern improvement opportunities across sites, functions, and business units.
B. Lead Lean Six Sigma and Structured Problem-Solving Programs
- Drive Lean Six Sigma initiatives using DMAIC, root cause analysis, process mapping, FMEA, control plans, and statistical problem-solving methods.
- Lead high-impact improvement projects focused on productivity, quality, cost, cycle time, yield, capacity, and operational stability.
- Coach project teams and functional owners on proper problem definition, data-driven analysis, solution validation, and sustainment.
C. Facilitate Kaizen and Continuous Improvement Activities
- Engage cross-functional teams to identify bottlenecks, eliminate non-value-added activities, and improve end-to-end process flow.
- Promote practical, shopfloor-oriented continuous improvement practices that deliver measurable and sustainable results
D. Use Data Analytics to Drive Insights and Decisions
- Apply data analytics to identify performance trends, process gaps, operational risks, and improvement opportunities.
- Develop dashboards, performance metrics, and management reports to support decision-making and progress tracking.
- Partner with stakeholders to translate operational data into actionable insights and improvement priorities.
E. Lead Cross-Functional and Cross-Site Improvement Programs
- Manage operational excellence programs across sites, teams, and corporate functions to ensure alignment, execution discipline, and timely delivery.
- Coordinate stakeholders from operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, IT, finance, and other support functions to drive common objectives
F. Build Continuous Improvement Capability and Culture
- Develop internal capability through coaching, mentoring, training, and knowledge sharing on Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and operational excellence methods.
- Support the development of Green Belt/Black Belt project pipelines and improvement practitioners across the organization.
- Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, fact-based decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field
- Minimum 8 years of experience in operations management, engineering, or continuous improvement roles, preferably within the semiconductor or manufacturing industry
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional programs in multi-site or global organization
- Strong knowledge of Lean Six Sigma methodologies (Black Belt certified is an added advantage)
- Knowledge and experience in statistical data analysis, and hands on experience in using analysis software (e.g. JMP) is a plus.
- Demonstrated successful leading operations improvement programs across different geography, culture, and different functions or disciplines.
- Ability to manage risks, prioritize effectively, and drive execution across multiple initiatives
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across diverse teams and functions
