Operational Excellence Manager
Ventura Foods · Waukesha, WI
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Ventura Foods (food & beverage) in Waukesha, WI. As part of the Plant Leadership Team the OpEx Manager will provide necessary coaching to the team and other individuals regarding organizational effectiveness, operational improvements, continuous improvement methodology, and execution of best practices.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in Wisconsin: typical posted base $108k–$137k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 18 continuous improvement openings in Wisconsin, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Wisconsin plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 17 other live lean / ci postings in Wisconsin.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (5+ vs 7+)
Typical $108k–$137k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 89%
- ✓ Kaizen 56%
- Root cause 50%
- Value stream mapping 50%
- ✓ Six Sigma 50%
- ✓ Team leadership 44%
✓ = 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 Ventura Foods
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 does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- 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: Ventura Foods in Waukesha
3 other open roles at this site.
- Production Supervisor · Production · Supervisor
- Maintenance Technician II · Reliability · Technician
- Maintenance Electrician · Reliability · Technician
Full description from Ventura FoodsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Plant OpEx Manager will be responsible for accelerating operational excellence change efforts at the production plant by leading organizational/leadership development processes, promoting employee engagement and driving quality and productivity improvements. As part of the Plant Leadership Team the OpEx Manager will provide necessary coaching to the team and other individuals regarding organizational effectiveness, operational improvements, continuous improvement methodology, and execution of best practices. Provide influential leadership to support departments to gain results throughout the site.
Responsibilities
- ◆Responsible for implementing strategy and guiding advancement of operational excellence at the plant.
- ◆Collaborate with the Production, Quality, Finance, Maintenance, Enginnering Managers and others at the location to understand site business priorities/goals and use this knowledge to prioritize Continuous Improvement activity at the production location.
- ◆Be a role model for the mindsets and behaviors necessary to create an environment of trust, participation and accountability.
- ◆Consult on Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen methodology leaders to identify best practices and to simplify and standardize work to deliver improved performance.
- ◆Actively review site practices to identify opportunities and advise on appropriate organizational interventions, i.e. training, coaching, etc. for improving site systems and practices to achieve desired outcomes. Build a coaching culture and provide individual coaching to site and above site leadership throughout the change and transformation process.
- ◆Guide locations in determining the priorities for process improvements that impact production and business results and champion waste elimination and reduction. Responsible for the oversight and direct supervision of assigned plant continuous improvement resources.
- ◆Build a coaching culture and provide individual coaching to site and above site leadership throughout the change and transformation process.
- ◆Monitor improvement progress and sustain transformational gains over time through continued metric review and consultation with key stakeholders.
- ◆Lead improvement projects utilizing standardized Lean Six Sigma tools and methods to improve plant performance and achieve results for operations customers.
- ◆Responsible for following all food safety policies, procedures and regulatory criteria including the current SQF code, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HACCP, and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and associated preventive controls.
Education and Experience
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management required.
- ✓5+ years of experience in Engineering, Business, Operations Management.
- ✓Experience in a food manufacturing environment preferred.
requirements
of the position for which you are applying.
Typical shifts are 8-12 hours per day. Additional unscheduled time after hours and on weekends may also be required. Employees must be willing and able to wear personal protective equipment as required by Company policy and/or legal requirements. In addition, certain jobs may require employees to:
- ✓Work outside
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Employment Type: Salaried
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Knowledge and Skills
- •Professional certifications and experience especially helpful in the field of Autonomous Maintenance, Training Development, Organizational Development, Coaching, Lean and Change Management.
- •Demonstrated ability to lead, manage and implement organizational and cultural change and deliver results. Results oriented with the ability to gather, analyze, and interpret information from a variety of sources.
- •Be a recognized role model in key leadership development skills of feedback, coaching, listening, empowerment and difficult conversations.
- •Demonstrated conflict resolution and solution focused problem-solving skills.
- •Excellent communication and interpersonal skills which include building rapport and maintaining strong relationships across all levels, sensitivity to individual and team needs, collaborating effectively to accomplish work, effective facilitation and teaching skills.
- •Project management capability with effective time management skills and ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities.
- •Knowledge and strong working competence in Microsoft Office (Excel & PowerPoint).
Why Join Us
Ventura Foods innovates and manufactures food solutions for foodservice and retail businesses. We make exclusive products for the world's most iconic restaurants and retailers, we provide ready-to-go product solutions for professional kitchens, and we make consumer brands everyone knows and loves. When you work for Ventura Foods, you get a strong foundation of training, a manager who cares about you and celebrates your success, a safe environment, and challenging work. As part of our team, your future is limited only by how much you’re willing to push yourself to get there. We invest in your growth because you invest in ours.
Ventura Foods offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits:
- •Medical, Prescription, Dental, & Vision – coverage beginning on your 1st day for eligible employees
- •Profit Sharing and 401(k) matching (after eligible criteria is met)
- •Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays
- •Employee Appreciation Events and Employee Assistance Programs
Physical Demands
All jobs require sufficient physical strength and dexterity to perform the required task(s) and typically also require at a minimum: intermittent sitting, standing, walking, climbing, squatting, kneeling, pushing, and pulling. Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds or more with assistance may also be required. Please see the job description for specific requirements.
Work Environment
Please see the job description for specific