Sr. Specialist, Operational Excellence

Our Work Matters

At Kindeva we make products that save lives, ensuring better health and well-being for patients around the world.

As a Senior Specialist, Operational Excellence, you will play a key role in driving performance and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across our Lexington manufacturing site. You will lead cross-functional initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance quality using Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies. Your ability to influence, coach, and collaborate will be critical in embedding operational excellence into our daily operations and ensuring long-term business success.

Responsibilities:

Process Optimization and Continuous Improvement

• Lead value stream mapping, Kaizen events, and other lean activities to eliminate waste and improve efficiency
• Use Lean and Six Sigma tools to assess operations and implement sustainable improvements
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering to align on project goals and outcomes
• Develop and implement standard work and best practices for operational consistency
• Promote a continuous improvement culture through coaching and mentoring

Training and Change Enablement

• Coach and train employees at all levels on OE tools and concepts
• Support deployment of site-level OE strategies and cultural transformation initiatives
• Facilitate structured problem-solving and root cause investigations (e.g., A3s, 5 Whys, Fishbone)

Performance Monitoring and Analytics

• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate process effectiveness
• Develop visual management systems and dashboards to support performance tracking
• Utilize data to identify trends, drive decision-making, and report project ROI

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure OE initiatives comply with cGMP and regulatory requirements
• Support CAPA and Change Control development related to performance improvement
• Contribute to OE documentation, SOPs, and standardization efforts across the site

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing or operations environment
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification
• Demonstrated success leading continuous improvement projects
• Strong communication and facilitation skills
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing without authority

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pharmaceutical or GMP-regulated manufacturing
• Black Belt certification
• Familiarity with digital tools (Power BI, operational dashboards)
• Experience training or coaching teams in Lean/Six Sigma tools

Physical Requirements:

• Specific vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust and focus in order to read/understand/execute documentation as required by the position
• Employees are required to follow all cGMP and safety procedures
• The employee must wear all required safety equipment and perform assigned work in a safe manner
• Must use proper lifting techniques and be aware of hazards
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds