Operational Excellence - Sr. Manager
Thermo Fisher Scientific · St. Louis, MO
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Travel
- 20%
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 6+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt required
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 28 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Thermo Fisher Scientific (pharma & life sciences) in St. Louis, MO. You will facilitate transformational change and continuous improvement across the organization.
- They ask for
- 6+ years · degree preferred · Black Belt required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Kaizen, Value stream mapping, FDA / GMP
- Day to day
- about 20% travel · relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
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 Thermo Fisher Scientific
We found 9 people at this company and state: 4 on the team, 5 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Michael → (free) - 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 says about 20% travel. Between which sites?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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.
About the role
Requirements
- ✓Advanced Degree plus 6 years of experience, or Bachelor's Degree plus 8 years of experience in lean leadership implementing continuous improvement initiatives
- ✓Hands on experience in operational excellence, lean, continuous improvement, or PPI in a complex operational or manufacturing environment.
- ✓Lean Six Sigma Black Belt required
- ✓Project Management Professional (PMP) certification a plus
- ✓Demonstrated experience developing and deploying PPI/lean tools including:
- ✓Strategy deployment and value stream mapping
- ✓Tiered daily management systems and leader standard work
- ✓Kaizen facilitation and problem-solving methodologies
- ✓Standard work, error-proofing, and visual management
- ✓Strong financial and business acumen with ability to identify, quantify and track improvement opportunities
- ✓Excellent communication, presentation and influence skills to engage all organizational levels
- ✓Demonstrated success coaching and developing continuous improvement capabilities in others
- ✓Experience leading change initiatives in a matrix organization
- ✓Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities
- ✓Ability to travel up to 20%
- ✓Manufacturing/operations experience preferred
- ✓Expertise in data analytics and performance metrics
- ✓Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite required
- ✓Commitment to driving improvement and leading transformational change
- ✓Ability to work effectively across functions without direct authority
- ✓Experience in regulated industry (e.g., life sciences, medical devices) preferred
Because when you’re helping us deliver for patients, we want to help you thrive—at work and beyond.
Other
Relocation assistance is not provided.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future, without sponsorship.
Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a drug screening.
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Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards, Office
Job Description
Move fast. Think big. Make an impact that can change lives.
At Thermo Fisher Scientific’s St. Louis site, we move with urgency because what we do matters. Every day, our teams are helping turn breakthrough science into biologic medicines for patients around the world—and behind every batch, every decision and every challenge we solve is a patient waiting for what we make.
This is a fast-paced, high-energy environment where science, technology and talented people come together to do extraordinary work. Whether you’re in manufacturing, quality, engineering, the lab or a support function, you are part of the mission. Your expertise matters. Your ideas matter. Your ability to move quickly, solve problems and deliver matters.
Description
As a Senior Manager of PPI Business System at Thermo Fisher Scientific, you will facilitate transformational change and continuous improvement across the organization. Leading the implementation of our Practical Process Improvement (PPI) Business System, you will partner with business leaders to establish and mature lean management practices that enable profitable growth, enhance customer experience, and increase employee engagement. Through strategic deployment, coaching, and hands-on facilitation of improvement initiatives, you will help develop a problem-solving culture focused on operational excellence. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to streamline processes, eliminate waste, and deliver measurable results in quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
As a strategic partner, coach, and hands-on improvement leader, you will help build a culture of continuous improvement and structured problem solving. You will work across functions and organizational levels to identify improvement opportunities, facilitate high-impact initiatives, develop organizational capability, and ensure improvements deliver measurable and sustainable business results.