Business Excellence Manager
Tenneco · Northville, MI
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 22 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Tenneco (automotive) in Northville, MI. With a product portfolio as expansive as it is innovative, an obsessive commitment to quality and excellence, and a global presence, we’re all about getting stuff done, so we can win.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- SAP
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
How this role compares
Against 18 other live lean / ci postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $78k–$130k, from 9 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 89%
- Kaizen 58%
- Six Sigma 42%
- Root cause 42%
- Value stream mapping 37%
- ✓ SAP 26%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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 Tenneco
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: Tenneco in Northville
2 other open roles at this site.
- Global ISC Continuous Improvement Manager, Supply Chain · Lean / CI · Manager
- Operational Excellence Specialist · Lean / CI · Specialist
Full description from TennecoAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key responsibilities
- ◆Lead analysis and management of sales tariff impacts on pricing, margin, and customer commitments
- ◆Partner with Sales and Finance to evaluate tariff exposure and support commercial decision-making
- ◆Monitor changes in tariff structures, trade-related cost drivers, and related business risks
- ◆Develop recommendations to mitigate tariff-related cost pressures and protect profitability
- ◆Oversee and support the work of the Cost Controller, including prioritization, development, and performance management
- ◆Ensure accurate cost tracking, reporting, and financial analysis tied to operational and commercial activity
- ◆Drive business excellence initiatives focused on process improvement, cost visibility, and operational efficiency
- ◆Partner cross-functionally to improve planning, reporting, and decision support across the organization
- ◆Support leadership with data-driven insights, reporting, and recommendations related to cost, tariffs, and performance
- ◆Establish and maintain effective controls, metrics, and reporting processes to improve business transparency and accountability
JOB
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain or related field.
- ✓5+ years of experience in business operations, finance, commercial analysis, or business excellence roles
- ✓Experience working with tariff analysis, pricing impacts, cost management, or related commercial-financial processes
- ✓Prior people leadership experience, including management or oversight of analytical or finance-related roles
- ✓Strong analytical, financial, and problem-solving skills
- ✓Ability to work cross-functionally and influence decisions across multiple stakeholders
- ✓Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear business recommendations
- ✓Advanced Excel and reporting skills; ERP or SAP experience preferred
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
At Tenneco, we don’t follow industry standards; we set them, and we don’t settle for being best-in-class because we hustle to be better than best-in-class. Whether it’s our Core Values – radical candor, simplify, organizational velocity, tenacious execution and win – or our Get Stuff Done (GSD) mindset, we’re determined to become the most trusted partner and best manufacturer and distributor to the transportation industry.
With a product portfolio as expansive as it is innovative, an obsessive commitment to quality and excellence, and a global presence, we’re all about getting stuff done, so we can win.
How do we make it happen? Through the Tenneco Way. Fueled by our Core Values, a winning mindset and a relentless commitment to excellence, the Tenneco Way is how we win. It’s what keeps Team Tenneco bold, driven, and unapologetically focused on pushing past limits and redefining success.
Here, you’ll work alongside a team of relentless problem-solvers who are committed to making a tangible impact. If you’re ready to break boundaries, deliver results, and enjoy the ride along the way, you’ll thrive here.
Want to learn more about who we are? Check out our website to discover the Tenneco Way
The Business Excellence Manager is responsible for driving commercial and operational performance through oversight of sales tariff strategy, cost control, and cross-functional business processes. This role partners closely with Sales, Finance, Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure tariff-related risks and opportunities are understood, cost impacts are effectively managed, and business decisions support organizational goals. The role also provides direct leadership to a Cost Controller and helps strengthen financial discipline across the organization.
Success profile
- •Experience in manufacturing or industrial environments
- •Knowledge of trade compliance, tariffs, and cost pass-through strategies
- •Background in continuous improvement, business process optimization, or operational excellence
- •Strong financial modeling and business case development skills
- •Proactively develops strategic capabilities to keep the supply chain organization ahead of evolving business needs.
- •Improved visibility to tariff-related business impacts
- •Strong cost control and financial reporting discipline
- •Effective partnership with Sales and Finance on pricing and margin decisions
- •Improved process efficiency and decision support across the organization
- •Successful leadership and development of the Cost Controller role.