Nordic Naturals
Position Summary
Operational Excellence Engineer is responsible for leading the development, deployment, and sustainability of Lean Manufacturing principles across the plant. This role is an hands‑on leader who combines Lean Six Sigma, LSS, TPM, Quality Management, Continuous Improvement, and Industrial Engineering methods to improve productivity, eliminate waste, and optimize overall plant performance. The ideal candidate will have a passion for building people and processes that drive long‑term operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and lead the site‑wide Lean Manufacturing strategy to drive measurable improvements in productivity, quality, safety, and cost.
Identify, prioritize, and eliminate all forms of waste in manufacturing, including:
Defects – nonconforming product
Overproduction – making more than is needed
Waiting – delays between process steps, material flows, approvals, etc.
Non‑Utilized Talent – failing to engage employees to full potential
Transportation – unnecessary movement of materials or products
Inventory – excess raw materials, work‑in‑progress, or finished goods
Motion – inefficient, unnecessary movements by people or equipment
Extra Processing – doing more work or using more resources than required
Lead waste walks, kaizen events, and root cause analysis workshops to uncover waste and implement sustainable countermeasures.
Develop operator work instructions and standard work for operators and leadership.
Deploy visual factory management systems including 5S and KPI performance tracking and other tools to indicate performance against standards at a glance.
Industrial Engineering & Productivity Optimization
Conduct line balancing, time studies, and workflow analysis to improve throughput and optimize labor allocation.
Analyze resource utilization and develop staffing models based on takt time, cycle time, and demand.
Design and implement standard work to improve consistency and reduce process variability.
Improve equipment changeover times using SMED techniques.
Evaluate plant layout and material flow, recommending changes to reduce transportation and motion waste.
Lead productivity improvement projects to address losses and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and reduce downtime.
Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving
Lead cross‑functional problem‑solving efforts and coach teams on structured root‑cause analysis (RCA) tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, A3, Fault Tree Analysis, and FMEA.
Drive RCCA (Root Cause and Corrective Action) processes to eliminate recurring issues and ensure sustainable solutions.
Facilitate value stream mapping, process capability studies, and performance‑improvement projects.
Implement and support structured problem‑solving methodologies at all levels of the organization.
Lead and participate in Gemba walks, audits, and tiered meetings to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Training & Culture Building
Deliver ongoing training and coaching to employees on Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma tools, and Total Quality Management.
Empower frontline teams to identify inefficiencies and lead improvement initiatives.
Establish visual dashboards and KPI tracking to monitor progress and drive accountability.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Productivity Engineering.
Minimum 7 years of experience in Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement roles in food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, or regulated manufacturing environment.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Demonstrated success in reducing manufacturing waste, improving labor efficiency, and increasing throughput.
In‑depth knowledge of lean tools and techniques including Standard Work, Line Balancing, 5S, SMED, Kanban, visual controls, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis.
Strong background in Industrial Engineering methods such as line balancing, time studies, capacity planning, and standard work development.
Excellent communication, coaching, and facilitation skills.
Analytical thinker with the ability to translate data into actionable improvement plans.
Preferred Skills
Experience with manufacturing automation, MES systems, or digital lean tools.
Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), regulatory standards, and cleanroom manufacturing.
Strong project management and change management capabilities.
TPM experience.
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Key Responsibilities
Develop and lead the site‑wide Lean Manufacturing strategy to drive measurable improvements in productivity, quality, safety, and cost.
Identify, prioritize, and eliminate all forms of waste in manufacturing, including:
Defects – nonconforming product
Overproduction – making more than is needed
Waiting – delays between process steps, material flows, approvals, etc.
Non‑Utilized Talent – failing to engage employees to full potential
Transportation – unnecessary movement of materials or products
Inventory – excess raw materials, work‑in‑progress, or finished goods
Motion – inefficient, unnecessary movements by people or equipment
Extra Processing – doing more work or using more resources than required
Lead waste walks, kaizen events, and root cause analysis workshops to uncover waste and implement sustainable countermeasures.
Develop operator work instructions and standard work for operators and leadership.
Deploy visual factory management systems including 5S and KPI performance tracking and other tools to indicate performance against standards at a glance.
Industrial Engineering & Productivity Optimization
Conduct line balancing, time studies, and workflow analysis to improve throughput and optimize labor allocation.
Analyze resource utilization and develop staffing models based on takt time, cycle time, and demand.
Design and implement standard work to improve consistency and reduce process variability.
Improve equipment changeover times using SMED techniques.
Evaluate plant layout and material flow, recommending changes to reduce transportation and motion waste.
Lead productivity improvement projects to address losses and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and reduce downtime.
Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving
Lead cross‑functional problem‑solving efforts and coach teams on structured root‑cause analysis (RCA) tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, A3, Fault Tree Analysis, and FMEA.
Drive RCCA (Root Cause and Corrective Action) processes to eliminate recurring issues and ensure sustainable solutions.
Facilitate value stream mapping, process capability studies, and performance‑improvement projects.
Implement and support structured problem‑solving methodologies at all levels of the organization.
Lead and participate in Gemba walks, audits, and tiered meetings to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Training & Culture Building
Deliver ongoing training and coaching to employees on Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma tools, and Total Quality Management.
Empower frontline teams to identify inefficiencies and lead improvement initiatives.
Establish visual dashboards and KPI tracking to monitor progress and drive accountability.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Productivity Engineering.
Minimum 7 years of experience in Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement roles in food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, or regulated manufacturing environment.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Demonstrated success in reducing manufacturing waste, improving labor efficiency, and increasing throughput.
In‑depth knowledge of lean tools and techniques including Standard Work, Line Balancing, 5S, SMED, Kanban, visual controls, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis.
Strong background in Industrial Engineering methods such as line balancing, time studies, capacity planning, and standard work development.
Excellent communication, coaching, and facilitation skills.
Analytical thinker with the ability to translate data into actionable improvement plans.
Preferred Skills
Experience with manufacturing automation, MES systems, or digital lean tools.
Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), regulatory standards, and cleanroom manufacturing.
Strong project management and change management capabilities.
TPM experience.
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