Director of Operational Excellence at Vehicle Service Group in Milwaukie, Oregon

Job Description:

Warn Automotive is a world leader in driveline disconnect technology. Our heritage comes from making WWII surplus Jeeps easier to drive on the road with the first unlocking hubs. We continue today by making disconnects for cars, trucks, and SUVs around the world. These trusted technologies come from years of innovation and listening to our customer's needs. We have a bright future ahead so come join our growing team at Warn Automotive.

Position Summary:

The Director of Operational Excellence (OPEX) will establish, oversee, and manage the Warn Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, and Continuous Improvement programs. They will provide leadership to establish and maintain quality levels that meet and exceed customer expectations. The Director of OPEX will implement and maintain a statistical based quality system, develop and maintain quality systems in compliance with IATF and ISO standards, and maintain supplier quality relationships. The Director of OPEXwill drive implementation of Warn Automotive's Continuous Improvement initiatives, drive manufacturing engineering improvements to achieve safety and productivity gains and use them to drive overall improvements to the business. Additionally, the Director of OPEX will ensure all equipment is maintained and operating at the highest level of performance, complete with a spare parts program and fully trained and qualified maintenance staff.

Essential Functions:

• Determining the overall quality and continuous improvement strategy to align with Warn Automotive's and VSG's overall strategic plan.


• Build strong quality systems for determining the appropriate infrastructure and resources required to achieve business objectives.


• Ensures internal processes and metrics are aligned to create highest product quality and competitive advantage.


• Provide leadership and guidance to ensure proper interface of the quality/CI function to manufacturing, engineering, sales, and customer contacts.


• Design develop and drive utilization of appropriate lean tools and champion general continuous. improvement initiatives to improve overall business performance as measured by productivity, and quality trends to include external audit results.


• Develop and implement standard work for all manufacturing operations. Foster strong relationships with Warn Automotive's customers and vendors and effectively relates the quality function to the business.


• Act as management representative for IATF and ISO requirements.


• Coordinate and maintain a quality system in compliance with IATF and ISO.


• Implement and maintain the necessary programs to support the Corporate Quality Policy, the Quality System, and the CI initiatives.


• Coordinate investigations of internal and external customer quality issues to insure timely closed loop corrective actions and reports as required.


• Organize the quality department, approving plans and expenditures necessary to achieve objectives.


• Support supplier quality programs; conduct supplier audits as needed to meet objectives.


• Drive efforts to reduce COPQ (cost of poor quality).


• Drive improvements in other key metrics such as warranty, R/1000, scrap, and rework.


• Partners with the other business functions to create and direct programs to ensure the quality of the product.


• Establish a World Class Maintenance Program utilizing TPM methodologies to drive MTBF, MTTR, and OEE performance.


• Establish a long-term capital plan for both facilities and operations.


• Develop long-term productivity plan utilizing Manufacturing Engineering resources to achieve Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost improvements.


• Provide training and leadership and act as a change agent while representing a positive and enthusiastic role model to ensure high engagement across the team.


• Responsible for development, implementation, maintenance and delivery of training materials.

Required Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Engineering or Management Science or in a related field.


• Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt certification preferred.


• Minimum five to ten years of quality management experience, which includes experience in Quality Systems. Experience with Quality Assurance (QA) administration, QA Engineering, QA Audit. Inspection and test experience within manufacturing. Direct experience with IATF is highly desirable.


• Prior experience leading manufacturing operations with demonstrated improvements.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong leadership skills and extraordinary people management skills, with an excellent understanding of the quality process and manufacturing operations to keep the company a step ahead of their competitors.


• Strong collaborative work ethic and ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, customers and vendors.


• Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills and a high tolerance for ambiguity. Excellent communication, interpersonal and customer service skills.


• Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills including ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced work environment while maintaining a calm, rational and respectful demeanor and communication style in times of stress occasioned by work demands, tight timelines, heavy production expectations, unexpected quality control issues, and other work-related issues or concerns that may cause a heightened level of anxiety, frustration, anger, disappointment, confusion, etc.


• Lean and Six Sigma implementation experience in functional and manufacturing related projects and processes.


• Demonstrated successful performance in business planning, resource management and CI processes.


• Extensive project management, team facilitation and leadership of Lean and Six Sigma tools, methods and concepts at the Blackbelt level is required.


• Process industry experience required.


• Demonstrated ability to effectively teach, mentor and coach Lean Six Sigma practitioners to achieve business results through Six Sigma projects.


• Well-reasoned decision making with a high attention to detail regarding organization, planning, work flow, and project prioritization to ensure tasks are completed efficiently and accurately.


• Highly ethical, self-motivated individual with ability to work independently and/or with limited direction, as well as cooperatively in a team environment, while consistently demonstrating collaborative, respectful and productive work habits. Promotes these same attributes in subordinates, business partners and vendors.


• Must have career history characterized by strong employers operating in growth environments; stability in employment and success in assignments.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Receive, understand, evaluate and appropriately respond to communications from employees, members of management, customers, vendors, and visitors using available technology, in person and in a public setting when necessary.


• Work for extended periods of time in a stationary position daily while performing repetitive assembly-related movements that may include consistently grasping, moving, and manipulating parts, tools, equipment and product in conjunction with completing required job tasks.


• Maintain professional and respectful communication style to ensure reactions and responses to both emergency and non-emergency situations serve as an example to others of appropriate workplace communications.


• Provide intellectually sound and well-reasoned answers, recommendations and solutions to identified business problems, issues and/or questions. Efficiently and quickly analyze, process, manipulate, and accurately record extensive amounts of data (some of which is technical in nature) and other information that serves as the basis for this position.


• Observe and detect product anomalies, quality deficiencies and potential safety hazards using sound, vibration, appearance, temperature, performance, and other measurable quality control indicators.


• Move to, from and within the designated work area frequently and consistently throughout the work day and regularly throughout our building and/or across Warn Automotive-related property site locations, possibly during inclement weather.


• Use a personal computer or other technology devices frequently and consistently for the purpose of reviewing, analyzing, creating, transmitting, and presenting documents, data and other business-related information.


• Lift, transport and/or move a specified amount of weight frequently each day in the performance of regular duties as outlined below with respect to each assembly area. Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing and descending a stepladder may also be required.

The characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties that may be required for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this or similar positions and additional duties may be assigned.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.

This position may be located in:Americas : United States : Oregon : Milwaukie

Sub Division :VSG Warn Automotive

Job Requisition ID :36738