Operational Improvement Manager

Get ready to grow with us!

Northwest Pipe Company is the nation’s leading manufacturer of water infrastructure products and with over 50 years of experience, we’re just getting started! Our business is growing, and we’re looking for great people to grow with us. We’re immediately seeking an Operational Improvement Manager to join our ParkUSA team in San Antonio, TX.

We Offer:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
• 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Employer Match
• Bonus Potential (2x per year)
• Up to $5,000 per year Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Opportunities for Career Advancement
• Values-Driven Culture Committed to Equal Opportunities and Safety

Our Values:

• Accountability is evident when we do what we say we are going to do and people accept responsibility for their actions. We do not point fingers and blame others. We own our actions.
• Commitment is not only promising to do something, but actually investing in the necessary effort and actions to make it happen.

Teamwork is essential for competing in a challenging and constantly changing business environment. Working together across all job functions is critical to achieving our success.

ABOUT THE JOB:

The Operational Improvement Manager plays a key role to drive process improvements, enhances productivity, and foster innovation in business operations. Collaborates with

cross-functional teams to identify inefficiencies and implement streamlined procedures.

Responsibilities include streamlining workflows, implementing best practices, and ensuring operational efficiency. Leads the implementation of Lean initiatives, verify effectiveness and ensure sustainability through audits. Develop and implement solutions to improve production processes, safety, quality and environmental activities.

Must embrace and support core values of integrity, mutual respect, excellence, teamwork and accountability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop a strategy and executes a plan to deliver process performance improvements to optimize Safety, Cost, Quality and Delivery.
• Define, propose and implement objectives and best operational practices.
• Leads the implementation of Lean Manufacturing initiatives and strategies of each facility to improve operation processes within the organization. Ensures sharing and implementation of best practices across plants.
• Evaluate all continuous improvement activities and develop plans to optimize performance and processes.
• Delivers practical, hands-on training to site lean coordinators in standardized lean processes and tools to eliminate waste in all administrative, manufacturing and support functions.
• Partners with Senior Leadership to identify key opportunities for process improvements linked to strategic imperatives. Collaborates with leadership team to conduct assessment of current processes with suggestions for improvement.
• Measures and reports progress on an on-going basis.
• Facilitates change and supports the deployment, adoption and sustainment of Lean thinking and a Lean-based Management Systems.
• Develops and implements strategies for fostering basic problem solving (ACT/PDCA) knowledge and behavior at all levels; this includes coaching, training and driving disciplined application of fact-based, root-cause thinking.
• Constantly seeks to identify, share and facilitate adoption of best practices to eliminate waste and improve performance.
• Supports, tracks progress and leads key business improvement projects, including new capital projects.
• Collect plant metrics, analyze data and recommend appropriate changes and courses of action.
• Leads and collaborates with cross functional teams to develop a S&OP (Sales and Operations Process) to improve customer demand forecasting, scheduling and on-time delivery.
• Lead Safety Program to ensure employee safety and compliance with OSHA standards
• Conduct weekly safety meetings with the team
• Inspect the facility and property on a regular basis to identify safety, health, and environmental risks and ensure those items are mitigated in an appropriate time basis
• Generate assessment documentation, incident and accident reports, and health and safety manuals
• Provide environmental, health, and safety training for new hires as part of the new hire orientation process
• Prepare and submit health, safety, and/or environmental compliance documents to the relevant organizations & manager
• Provide direction with the production team if any unsafe acts or conditions are observed.
• Train and mentor department subject matter experts in the application of safety and the continuous improvement system
• Train worksite on proper processes and procedures regarding Safety, Lean and Environmental
• Optimize manufacturing processes to attain maximum safety, product quality, efficiency, and repeatability
• Collect plant metrics, analyze data and recommend appropriate changes and courses of action
• Work with other Safety and Lean personnel across the Northwest Pipe organization
• Assist with the SPCC/SWPPP by conducting audits, taking samples and providing information
• Ensure facility is properly permitted from an environmental aspect
• Ensures that material safety data sheets are maintained and readily accessible when needed
• Maintains records of discharge of or employee exposure to hazardous waste and/or pollutants, as required per current permits
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This position Leads/Coaches/Mentors site Lean Coordinators at the manufacturing facilities as well as inventory control and scheduling.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Ability to effectively present information to top management and public groups.
• Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instruction in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Excellent communications, relationship-building, and facilitation skills.
• Strong computer skills necessary. Advanced MS office skills and statistical software packages (Minitab etc.).
• Thorough understanding of multiple business areas to include Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Safety and Quality Control.
• Advanced knowledge of Lean principles and applications.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a technical discipline is desired.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the implementation of lean manufacturing tool applications in a fast-paced manufacturing environment is required.
• Minimum 10 years demonstrated ability to train people and manage cultural changes to obtain buy-in.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in Industrial Safety desired.
• Comprehensive understanding of welding concepts, industrial coating applications, concrete manufacturing science and processes.
• Extensive operational leadership experience in a Manufacturing organization is highly regarded and valued
• Knowledge of Environmental regulations would be preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Lean Six Sigma certification required AME (Association of Manufacturing Excellence) is preferred.
• Certification in Lean Manufacturing processes is strongly preferred.
• Osha 30 Certification strongly preferred.

Except where prohibited by state law, offers of employment may be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, drug test, and/or physical examination, as determined by the essential functions and physical requirements of the position.

Northwest Pipe Company is committed to equal employment opportunity. Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Northwest Pipe Company reserves the right to close the position, with or without notice, if a qualified candidate is identified prior to the close date.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be meet by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Project timelines and work volume / deadlines may often require working outside of standard office hours, weekend, or evening work.

Regular, reliable and predictable attendance is necessary in order to perform the essential functions of this position.

Physical Activity

Over 2/3 of the time:

• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Communicating: Expressing or exchanging ideas and information accurately, in written or diagram form.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers such as moving a mouse and typing.

Up to 2/3 of the time:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces. (This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium)
• Stooping: Positions self to access files or lift items off the floor.
• Kneeling/Crouching: Position self to file documents and open lower drawers as well as to lift boxes and other items.
• Standing /Sit: Remaining upright in a stationary position, particularly for sustained periods.
• Walking: Moving about accomplishing tasks, particularity for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Less than 1/3 of the time:

• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
• Crawling: Moving about to position self
• Reaching: Grabbing things from a distance above or from the side.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward downward or outward.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or move objects horizontally from position to position.

Physical Requirements

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects, including the human body.

Visual Acuity

The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes.

Vision Requirements

Over 2/3 of the time:

• The worker is required to have peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left and right while eyes are fixed on a given point)
• The worker is required to have depth perception (three-dimensional vison, ability to judge distance and spatial relationships.)
• The worker is required to have the ability to adjust visual focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus)

Up to 2/3 of the time:

• The worker is required to have close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less)
• The worker is required to have distance vision (clear vison at 20 feet or more)
• The worker is required to have color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors)

Weather Condition

Over 2/3 of the time

• The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The worker is subject to outside environmental conditions: No effective protection from weather.
• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: activities occur inside and outside.
• The worker is subject to extreme cold: Temperatures typically below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour (Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.)
• The worker is subject to extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour. (Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.)
• The worker is subject to noise: There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout order to be heard above the ambient noise level.
• The worker is subject to hazards: Includes a variety of physical conditions such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles electrical current working on scaffolding and high places exposure to high heat or exposure to chemical.

Less than 1/3 of the time:

• The worker is subject to vibration: Exposure to oscillating movements of the extremities or whole body.
• The worker is subject to oils: There is air and /or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids.

Noise Levels

Over 2/3 of the time

• Loud noise (examples: metal can be manufacturing department large earth-moving equipment)
• Very loud noise (example: jack hammer work, front row at rock concert

Up to 2/3 of the time:

• Moderate noise (examples: business office with computers and printers, light traffic)

Supervision Received

General Direction: The incumbent exercises wide latitude in determining objectives and approaches to critical assignments. Generally, the incumbent is in charge of an area of work, and typically formulates policy for this area but does not necessarily have final authority for approving policy.

Personal Protective Equipment is required when in the Plant, Yard or Construction Areas:

• Hard Hat
• Safety Glasses
• Steel-toed Boots
• Hearing Protection
• Reflective Vest