Operational Excellence Manager

The Operational Excellence Manager will lead the site’s Lean transformation and continuous-improvement agenda across turbine and generator manufacturing operations. The role will improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, equipment effectiveness, and lead time through structured problem solving, standard work, value-stream improvement, daily management, and selective automation. Operational Excellence roles typically focus on eliminating losses, deploying Lean/Six Sigma methods, improving throughput and yield, and sustaining improvements through standardized processes and performance reviews. This is a hands-on, shop-floor leadership role requiring deep engagement with heavy machining, fabrication and welding, assembly, and generator-component manufacturing team. Function: Manufacturing / Operations Location: Sanand, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) Reports to: Operational Excellence Leader Management level / band: LPB Manufacturing scope The role will support improvement across the full value stream, including: • Machining of turbine rotors, casings, diaphragms, and other major nuclear components. • Blade machining, inspection, handling, and preparation processes. • Heavy fabrication, welding, stress relieving (PWHT), blasting-painting, machining, and assembly of fabricated structures. • Turbine assembly, alignment, balancing, testing, and final inspection operations. • Generator parts manufacturing, including stator green bar production, insulation and processing operations. • Generator stacking, slotting, wedging, winding support, impregnation, and related assembly processes. • Material flow, tooling, fixtures, cranes, handling equipment, machine loading, and layout optimization. • Interface with Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, Supply Chain, EHS, and Production teams. •   Key responsibilities Lean transformation and daily management • Develop and deploy the site Operational Excellence roadmap aligned with plant safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives. • Lead daily management systems, including SQDC boards, tiered meetings, escalation routines, visual management, and action follow-up. • Establish and monitor plant KPIs, including safety events and risks, quality performance, plan versus actual, schedule adherence, OEE, productivity, labor hours, lead time, 5S, TPM, and Kaizen effectiveness. • Conduct structured performance reviews with production, support, and cross-functional teams to identify gaps and drive corrective actions. • Ensure improvement actions are assigned, tracked, verified, and sustained through standardization. Process improvement and waste elimination • Lead Value Stream Mapping for turbine and generator manufacturing value streams, identifying bottlenecks, waiting time, transport, inventory, rework, and non-value-added activities. • Conduct time studies, capacity analysis, line balancing, and cycle-time reduction studies for machining, welding, assembly, and generator-component operations. • Define and improve work methods, standard work, work instructions, process sequences, tooling requirements, and shop-floor controls. • Lead root-cause analysis and problem-solving reports (PSR/A3/8D as applicable) for recurring quality, productivity, delivery, and equipment issues. • Reduce changeover, setup, material-handling, inspection, and waiting losses through Lean methods such as SMED, 5S, Kanban, pull systems, and flow optimization. • Improve process repeatability, first-time quality, throughput, and on-time delivery while respecting product and process specifications. Machining, welding, and assembly improvement • Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Production teams to improve heavy machining processes for rotors, casings, diaphragms, and blades. • Analyze machine utilization, setup time, tool life, fixture changeover, inspection cycles, operator waiting, and material availability to improve machining output. • Support improvement of heavy fabrication and welding operations, including weld sequencing, fit-up, distortion control, rework reduction, handling, and workflow design. • Improve turbine assembly and generator stator manufacturing processes through better layout, kitting, sequencing, standard work, ergonomic design, and visual controls. • Identify opportunities to reduce lead time and work-in-process across long-cycle, high-value components. Automation, ergonomics, and technology • Identify, evaluate, and implement cost-effective low-level automation, robotics, mechanized handling, digital tools, and assistive technologies. • Lead feasibility studies, benefit calculations, investment justifications, supplier coordination, pilot trials, and implementation for selected automation projects. • Apply human-factors and ergonomic principles to reduce manual effort, improve safety, and improve operator productivity in heavy-component handling and assembly areas. • Stay current with Industry 4.0, AI, machine learning, robotics, digital performance management, and relevant manufacturing technologies; assess practical applications for the site Building Capability and Culture • Train, coach, and develop production supervisors, engineers, operators, and cross-functional teams in Lean thinking, structured problem solving, standard work, 5S, TPM, and daily management. • Lead Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and cross-functional projects from diagnosis through implementation and benefit validation. • Communicate the Operational Excellence vision, expectations, and results across the plant. • Build a culture of ownership, data-based decision making, safety awareness, quality discipline, and continuous improvement.   Area Indicative KPIs Safety EHS events, near misses, risk closure, ergonomic improvement actions Quality First-time right, rework, scrap, customer/internal complaints, process adherence Delivery Plan versus actual, schedule adherence, lead time, on-time completion Productivity OEE, machine utilization, output per labor hour, cycle time, variance and utilization Cost Cost-reduction savings, labor-hour reduction, rework reduction, inventory/WIP reduction Lean maturity 5S score, standard-work adherence, TPM effectiveness, Kaizen completion and benefit realization Improvement governance PSR closure, action-plan effectiveness, project milestone delivery, sustained savings   Candidate Profile Basic qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline. • 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, Lean/continuous improvement, or operational excellence. • Proven experience leading Lean manufacturing initiatives, Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping, standard-work development, and structured problem solving. • Hands-on shop-floor experience in heavy engineering, turbine manufacturing, power-generation equipment, capital-goods manufacturing, or a comparable heavy-machining environment. • Experience analyzing complex manufacturing data and translating findings into practical improvement actions. • Strong working knowledge of MS Excel, PowerPoint, and manufacturing-performance reporting; familiarity with ERP systems is desirable. • Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, and influence cross-functional teams.   Preferred qualifications • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification. • Experience with turbine, generator, rotating equipment, heavy fabrication, machining, or large-assembly manufacturing. • Exposure to stator bar manufacturing, generator stator stacking, winding, insulation, impregnation, or generator assembly. • Experience in automation feasibility, robotic welding, machine-tending automation, material handling, or Industry 4.0 pilots. • Knowledge of TPM, OEE improvement, SMED, layout optimization, simulation tools, and capital-project justification. • Experience supporting new-product industrialization, factory readiness, or