Director of Operational Excellence
- Sedro-Woolley, WA
- $130,000-185,000 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Develop and execute a company-wide Operational Excellence strategy aligned with business goals, customer expectations, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
- Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve productivity, reduce cost, enhance quality, and streamline processes across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and support functions
- Establish ownership for undocumented or broken processes and lead efforts to improve or redesign them for efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality
- Create and maintain a comprehensive documentation and SOP framework to ensure process consistency, compliance, and knowledge retention
- Design and deploy toolkits for standard work, process mapping, root cause analysis, and other continuous improvement tools
- Define and track performance metrics (KPIs), dashboards, and ROI-based reporting systems to monitor progress and impact of improvement initiatives
- Standardize best practices and drive consistent application of operational frameworks across all company sites
- Act as a change agent, influencing behaviors and mindsets of senior leaders and frontline teams to support transformation efforts
- Evaluate and implement digital tools and smart manufacturing technologies to support automation, data-driven decision-making, and operational efficiency
- Conduct site assessments and support internal audits to ensure adherence to safety, quality, and regulatory requirements (e.g., FAA, AS9100, ITAR)
- Due to our ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must be a US Citizen or of Legal Permanent Resident Status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b (a) (3).
- This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance (U.S. Citizenship Required). Janicki will assist with gaining this access once employed. Special Access Program or other Government Access Requirements are mandatory for this position and requires candidate agreed to enter a Continuous Evaluation program.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field required; Master's degree or MBA preferred
- Minimum 10 years of experience in operational excellence, lean manufacturing, or process improvement within an aerospace or complex manufacturing environment
- Proven leadership experience in driving large-scale transformation initiatives
- Deep understanding of lean principles, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, 5S, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement tools
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and project management skills
- Excellent communication and leadership presence with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
- Experience working in regulated industries (FAA, AS9100, ITAR compliance)
- Salary range for this role is between $130,000 - $185,000, plus discretionary bonus, 401(k) matching, vacation, and health benefits. Employees can also receive additional pay for off-shifts. The range provided is Janicki's estimate of the base compensation for this role. Actual amount offered will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as experience, location, education, training, skills, and abilities
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contribution
- Disability insurance as well as Life/AD&D insurance
- HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer contribution and FSA (Flexible Savings Account)
- 401k with employer matching
- Paid time off and paid holidays (including two floating holidays)
- Education reimbursement program