Operational Excellence Supervisor

Who We Are: Thank you for your interest in Mueller Water Products, Inc.
For more than 165 years, Mueller Water Products, Inc. has been building the future of water infrastructure. From lifesaving fire protection to data intelligence, we are committed to developing products and solutions that help cities and utilities deliver clean, safe drinking water to hundreds of millions of people across North America.
Our purpose is to connect communities to water, life’s most essential resource, with exceptional, people solutions and products. Behind that purpose is a dedicated team, united by our shared values of respect, integrity, trust, inclusion and safety. With a vision to be the leader in water infrastructure solutions—solving challenges, enriching lives and safeguarding the future—we are making a positive impact that will last for
generations.
By joining Mueller, you become part of a dynamic team dedicated to excellence and innovation, working collaboratively to achieve meaningful results. We champion our people because when they succeed, our communities thrive. We invite you to learn more about career opportunities with us and consider submitting your
application.


Operational Excellence Supervisor
Position Summary
Mueller Water Products is a leading manufacturer of flow control products for the water and gas distribution industries. Our manufacturing commitment helps ensure that one of the world's most precious resources lean drinking water reaches millions of people every day.

The Operational Excellence Supervisor leads the facility's Operational Excellence function and is responsible for developing the OPEX team and delivering measurable, sustainable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity and Capacity.

This position leads Mechanical Engineers and Lean People and partners closely with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Engineering, EHS and other functions to improve manufacturing performance, eliminate waste and variation, strengthen processes, reduce cost, and build organizational capability.

The Operational Excellence Supervisor is a key change leader within the facility, responsible for establishing priorities, developing people, leading improvement initiatives and ensuring improvements are implemented, measured, financially validated and sustained.

Primary Responsibilities
Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead, develop, coach, and hold accountable Mechanical Engineers and Lean People to achieve individual, team and plant objectives
Establish clear priorities, expectations, goals and performance measures for the OPEX team
Build the technical, leadership and problem-solving capability of engineers, Lean People, supervisors and production employees
Develop a culture of ownership, accountability, employee involvement, and continuous improvement
Develop talent and succession capability within the OPEX organization
Build strong working relationships with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Engineering, EHS, and other functional leaders
Lead through influence and collaboration while maintaining accountability for commitments and results
Operational Excellence & Business Performance
Develop and execute the facility's Operational Excellence strategy and improvement roadmap in alignment with the Manufacturing Manager and business objectives
Identify and prioritize the facility's improvement portfolio based on business impact, urgency, risk, resources and expected return
Lead initiatives that improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, Capacity and customer satisfaction
Identify and eliminate waste, bottlenecks, variation, defects, downtime and non-value-added activities
Lead Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, A3, PDCA and other structured improvement initiatives
Lead Value Stream Mapping and future-state planning to improve material and information flow
Ensure improvements are translated into standard work, daily management practices and sustainable operating processes
Maintain a strong presence on the manufacturing floor through Gemba walks, direct observation, data analysis and engagement with employees and leaders
Cost Reduction & Financial Improvement
Identify and lead initiatives that reduce manufacturing cost and improve financial performance
Establish cost-reduction opportunities through labor productivity, scrap and rework reduction, material utilization, downtime reduction, cycle-time improvement, capacity improvement, inventory reduction and process optimization
Develop business cases and financial justification for significant improvement and capital projects
Establish project baselines and quantify expected financial benefits before implementation where appropriate
Partner with Finance and Manufacturing leadership to validate savings, cost avoidance, productivity improvements, and other financial benefits
Ensure cost savings and productivity improvements are sustained and reflected in ongoing performance
Maintain an improvement pipeline that includes both operational and financially significant opportunities
Daily Management & Performance Management
Establish and strengthen daily management systems that enable teams and leaders to identify performance gaps and take timely corrective action
Establish and maintain visual management and performance-review processes that make abnormalities, priorities and accountability visible
Partner with Manufacturing leaders to strengthen Tier meetings, leader standard work, escalation processes and follow-through
Monitor key performance indicators and ensure corrective actions are assigned, executed and sustained
Use facts, data and direct observation to identify the highest-value opportunities for improvement
Communicate plant performance, risks, opportunities and improvement progress to leadership
Manufacturing Engineering & Process Improvement
Lead the engineering team in improving manufacturing processes, equipment utilization, throughput, cycle time, capacity, labor productivity and process capability
Evaluate processes and equipment to identify opportunities for simplification, automation, improved utilization and increased reliability
Lead or support manufacturing equipment specification, procurement, installation, commissioning and process validation
Develop and manage capital improvement projects, including scope, justification, implementation and verification of results
Partner with Operations and Maintenance to identify and eliminate equipment and process constraints
Ensure manufacturing process changes are effectively implemented, documented and sustained
Quality & Structured Problem Solving
Partner with Quality and Manufacturing to improve Quality at the Source and first-time-right manufacturing
Lead structured root-cause investigations and corrective actions for significant safety, quality, delivery, cost and productivity problems
Utilize data and statistical methods to reduce process variation and improve process capability
Apply appropriate problem-solving and risk-management methodologies based on the nature and complexity of the problem
Develop and implement effective process controls, error-proofing and preventive action
Ensure process improvements address safety, quality, regulatory and customer requirement
Drive prevention of recurring problems rather than relying solely on corrective action
Standard Work & Process Control
Develop and maintain standard work, work instructions, process sheets, work standards and other manufacturing documentation
Ensure process changes are effectively communicated, implemented and incorporated into standard work
Establish methods to verify adherence to standard work and identify opportunities for improvement
Develop visual standards and controls that make abnormal conditions and process gaps readily visible
Ensure completed improvements are transferred into normal operating practices and daily management
Project & Change Management
Manage multiple improvement and enginee