Manager, Site Lean Expert, Operational Excellence, L'Oréal Operations

Job Description: Manager, Site Lean Expert

Division: Operations
Location: Franklin, NJ  
Reports To: AVP, Manufacturing Operations Excellence

What You Will Do:

The Site Lean Manufacturing Manager drives performance improvement methodologies across the plant. Operating with high independence, this role blends strategic roadmap design with "hands-on" execution to implement site-wide change. You will serve as the factory’s leading expert in Lean, TPM, and EOS standards. Your goal is to identify and resolve complex operational issues, lead high-impact optimization projects, and collaborate across departments to build a highly competitive and resilient continuous improvement (CI) culture.

Responsibilities:

• Operational Excellence Implementation Plan: Lead the creation and hands-on deployment of the site's Operational Excellence Implementation Plan. Partner with the Factory Leadership Team to design and implement the organizational structures (TPM Pillars, Lean focus groups) required to align the site with corporate standards.
• Advanced Problem Solving & Performance Optimization: Serve as the site's ultimate problem-solving expert (Black Belt). Gather facts, identify performance gaps, and design innovative solutions for complex, multi-layered operational problems where standard precedents may not exist, directly improving plant yield, OEE, loss, and scrap.
• TPM, Lean, & Six Sigma Integration: Drive the integration of TPM, Lean, and Six Sigma methodologies across the site. Ensure a strong correlation between site KPI improvements and daily EOS (L'Oréal Excellence System) standards, maintaining a strict alignment with safety, quality, and environmental targets.
• Cross-Functional Performance Analysis: Partner extensively across Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Supply Chain departments. Analyze real-time site performance indicators to identify cross-departmental deviations, prioritize resources, and initiate innovative corrective actions.
• Head Coaching, Facilitation & Upskilling: Act as the head coach and facilitator for performance training (TPM, 5S, EOS, Daily Routines) from the shop floor to the plant leadership team, motivating others and building sustainable internal continuous improvement capabilities.
• CI Trend Adoption & Community Contribution: Stay at the forefront of industrial CI trends and technologies. Actively contribute to the global L'Oréal EOS community by sharing local success stories, transferring best practices, and customizing corporate frameworks for local site adoption.

Target Skills:

• Change Leadership & Motivation: Exceptional capability to motivate others, manage resistance, and drive cultural shift across multiple levels of the organization.
• Ingenuity & Complex Problem Solving: Highly analytical mindset with the ability to diagnose complex, multi-departmental losses and apply structured methodology to create new precedents.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong cooperation and stakeholder management skills; able to support and constructively challenge department managers and technical engineers to enforce standards.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Expert capability to interpret complex production, financial, and operational indicators to prioritize projects and target areas of high waste.
• Pragmatism & Adaptability: Comfortable balancing strategic visioning with hands-on shop-floor problem solving in a fast-paced industrial environment.

What We Are Looking For:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Industrial Management, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in an industrial manufacturing environment, with a strong, proven track record of leading complex continuous improvement projects and change initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement / Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required.
• Deep expertise in deploying TPM and L'Oréal Standard Management (EOS) frameworks.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment operations, process optimization, and safety/quality standards.
• Proven leadership experience in coaching, managing, and developing high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience with implementing and sustaining Autonomous Maintenance (AM) programs.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) or similar certification preferred.
• Requires onsite presence; hybrid work policy is not available for this role.

Key Success Factors:

• Quantifiable improvement in plant OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and loss/scrap reduction.
• Measurable improvement in the site's annual EOS Maturity audit scores.
• Proven performance improvements across cross-functional value streams (reduced cycle times, improved service levels).
• Successful upskilling and increased continuous improvement autonomy of shop-floor and managerial teams.

What’s In It for You: 

Why This Role Matters:

In L’Oréal Operations, continuous improvement is the engine that drives our competitiveness and sustainability. As a Site Lean Expert you are the key catalyst for this transformation. By combining strategic direction with hands-on expertise, you don’t just optimize a manufacturing process—you actively shape the culture of the plant. You empower frontline teams, develop highly skilled professionals, and build the resilient, agile manufacturing footprint needed to secure L'Oréal's operational excellence for the future.