Senior Operational Excellence Specialist or Engineer
Freeport-McMoRan · Bayard, NM
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Base pay
- $98k–$138k
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Metals
- Posted
- 4 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior continuous improvement role at Freeport-McMoRan (metals) in Bayard, NM. In this role, you will coach leaders, teams, and customers to independently run effective problem solving and improvement routines.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, OEE, Root cause
- Base pay
- $98k–$138k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $105k–$150k. This one lists $98k–$138k.
Median of the low and high ends of 139 live postings that list pay, out of 361 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
New Mexico plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 360 other live lean / ci postings in the US.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $101k–$144k, from 124 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 84%
- Six Sigma 54%
- Value stream mapping 48%
- Kaizen 48%
- ✓ Root cause 44%
- 5S 32%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for OEE, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Freeport-McMoRan
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Freeport-McMoRan in Bayard
4 other open roles at this site.
- Senior Process Automation Technician · Controls · Technician
- Process Automation Engineer I · Controls
- Process Automation Technician II · Controls · Technician
- Process Automation Technician Helper · Controls · Technician
Full description from Freeport-McMoRanAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What You Will Do
Under limited supervision, drive and institutionalize data informed decision making and shape performance optimization at scale. Coach leaders and teams to support high impact business optimization initiatives, serving as a subject matter expert in transformational methodologies. In this role, you will coach leaders, teams, and customers to independently run effective problem solving and improvement routines
- ◆Apply tools such as bottleneck analysis, RCA, Lean, design thinking, OEE, diagnostics, lessons learned, and best practices to influence decisions, enable action, and sustain improvement
- ◆As the Sr Operational Excellence Specialist, you will coach others and shape systems that produce scalable innovation while proactively shaping decisions and guiding structured thinking and storytelling to drive sustained action.
- ◆Influence and motivate operational behavior and processes to support sustainment and coach others to build scalable structures and routines.
- ◆Facilitate multiple high performing teams and initiatives.
- ◆Review KPIs for equipment and processes based on operational analysis and data evaluation
What You Bring To Freeport
Note: Education and/or Degree type along with the minimum
qualifications
below will determine the position for which you will be considered.
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Background in specific field (mine, mill, hydro, etc.)
- ✓Engineering background
- ✓Data analysis skills
- ✓Experience with OEE (data access, cleaning, interpretation, analysis, etc.)
- ✓Ability to analyze data and draw conclusions
- ✓Ability to execute hypothesis-based analysis
- ✓Strong Excel skills
- ✓Ability to formulate questions to gain customer and process insight
- ✓Experience standing up management systems (work standards, process confirmations, meeting standardization, lineouts, visual management)
- ✓People and culture experience (human resources, organizational health, industrial psychology)
- ✓Experience in Agile values and principles
- ✓Experience working on, facilitating, or coaching Agile teams
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing an employment package that recognizes excellence, encourages safe production and a culture supported by our core values. Here, you’ll find a collaborative environment where safety is a top priority, all opinions are valued, and people are empowered to grow in their career. Apply Today!
Where You Will Work
Chino is an open-pit copper mining complex located 15 miles from the historic mining community of Silver City in southwestern New Mexico. The historic Chino mine was among the world's first low-grade, open-pit copper mines. Today, the operation consists of a 36,000-metric-ton-per-day concentrator that produces copper and a 150-million-pound-per-year solvent extraction/electrowinning plant that produces copper cathode from solution generated by run-of-mine leaching.
The community of Silver City boasts various restaurants, arts, entertainment, cliff dwellings, festivals and much more. Residents and visitors enjoy gentle four seasons, with three hundred days of sunshine a year and low humidity. From unique shopping finds in the galleries to everyday groceries, schools and housing, there are numerous amenities for everyone. Visit Silver City to learn more.
Senior Specialist
- •High School diploma or GED AND nine (9) years of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings
OR
- •Bachelor’s Degree AND five (5) years of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings
OR
- •Master’s Degree AND three (3) years of experience in Operations, Operations Support, Engineering, Project Management, Professional Business settings.
- •Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of the organization
- •Passionate problem solver who succeeds in ambiguous situations and advocates for the best possible solution
- •Active coach and mentor focused on maximizing team potential
- •Strong communicator with emerging ability to communicate complex messages
- •Participant in prior business optimization teams with potential to become an expert in transformation methodologies
- •Unbiased facilitator with established and emerging leadership skills
- •Self-aware of cognitive biases and focused on building high performing teams and delivering outcomes
- •Challenger mindset with passion for innovation and change
- •Belief in a non-hierarchical culture of collaboration, transparency, and trust
- •Passion for understanding people and teams
- •Ability to learn quickly and navigate the organization to find experts
- •Ability to receive and act on developmental feedback quickly
Senior Engineer
- •Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate Engineering discipline and five (5) years related experience in engineering or related field
OR
- •Master’s degree in an appropriate Engineering discipline and three (3) years related experience in engineering or related field
- •Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of the organization
- •Passionate problem solver who succeeds in ambiguous situations and advocates for the best possible solution
- •Active coach and mentor focused on maximizing team potential
- •Strong communicator with emerging ability to communicate complex messages
- •Participant in prior business optimization teams with potential to become an expert in transformation methodologies
- •Unbiased facilitator with established and emerging leadership skills
- •Self-aware of cognitive biases and focused on building high performing teams and delivering outcomes
- •Challenger mindset with passion for innovation and change
- •Belief in a non-hierarchical culture of collaboration, transparency, and trust
- •Passion for understanding people and teams
- •Ability to learn quickly and navigate the organization to find experts
- •Ability to receive and act on developmental feedback quickly