
Operational Excellence Specialist
Tenneco · Northville, MI
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Certification
- Green Belt preferred
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 21 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist 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 (or equivalent experience) · Green Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Green Belt
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?
- The posting mentions a Green Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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
- Business Excellence Manager · Lean / CI · Manager
Full description from TennecoAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
About the role
The P3 Operational Excellence Specialist leads the development, deployment, and sustainment of operational excellence strategies across the P3 organization. This role drives continuous process improvement, enables business transformation, and establishes governance frameworks that deliver measurable business results. The position partners closely with cross-functional leaders to align strategy, execution, and performance management while fostering a culture of operational discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Key responsibilities
- ◆Lead and continuously improve Operational Excellence certification programs across the organization.
- ◆Lead and oversee the full certification lifecycle, including application, assessment preparation, audits, certification achievement, and recognition activities.
- ◆Maintain standards and governance to align with internal frameworks and certification requirements.
- ◆Track certification status, key metrics, and improvement actions across manufacturing and supply chain operations.
- ◆Support development certification roadmaps that support capability development and operational maturity.
- ◆Provide training, coaching, and certification support to build and sustain organizational capabilities.
- ◆Ensure documentation, standard work, and evidence
requirements
are consistently maintained.
- ✓Develop, organize, and deliver executive-level PowerPoint presentations to communicate strategic initiatives, performance updates, and key business recommendations.
- ✓Build executive-level dashboards and reporting processes that enable data-driven decision-making.
- ✓Ensure accountability through regular business reviews, operational scorecards, and governance forums.
- ✓Develop meeting structures, communication plans, and follow-up mechanisms to drive decision execution.
- ✓Partner with cross-functional teams to design, implement, and continuously improve automated dashboards that provide program performance visibility and insights.
JOB
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
- ✓Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in project or program management, continuous improvement, manufacturing, or business transformation.
- ✓Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
- ✓Strong project and program management experience with a focus on facilitating cross-functional collaboration, managing timelines and deliverables, sustaining standardized processes, and driving continuous improvement to improve operational performance and organizational maturity.
- ✓Demonstrated proficiency in Excel, project planning and scheduling tools, and PowerPoint for data analysis, reporting, and executive presentations.
- ✓Ownership and a proactive approach.
- ✓Use of AI to be more efficient (Copilot Enterprise)
- ✓Preferred Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, PMP, or similar (aspirations to take either as well).
We don’t want average. We want exceptional. We want someone who’s hungry to build, unafraid to challenge, and bold enough to lead with empathy, speed, and precision. Sound like you? Let us know.
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
