Director, Operational Excellence & Workforce Development

Location Arvada, CO - US Employment Type Full time Location Type On-site Department Manufacturing (MFG) Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster. We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI. We're looking for problem‑solving, opportunity‑finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services. If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high‑performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe. About This Role: Crusoe is seeking a Director of Operational Excellence & Workforce Development to serve as a pivotal member of our manufacturing leadership team. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Manufacturing, this executive will be the primary architect and driving force behind building and leading a bespoke, branded Lean and Continuous Improvement (CI) program. This is a high-visibility, transformative role that extends far beyond the implementation of standard tools and processes. We are looking for a visionary cultural champion and change agent who can shift paradigms, elevate how our workforce approaches problem-solving, and foster a deeply rooted culture of continuous betterment across Crusoe Industries. This role is designed for a highly experienced operator with a strong background in building and running established continuous improvement programs. Professional training in Lean, Six Sigma, TPS, etc. are highly valued. The leader who takes on this role is a deeply curious builder who can effectively train people to solve challenging technical problems that impact the manufacturing environment. What You’ll Be Working On: Continuous Improvement Architecture: Architect and launch a signature Lean operating system that is fundamentally integrated with the specific operational DNA of Crusoe Industries. Curriculum & Playbook Development: Design and curate a comprehensive suite of instructional playbooks and technical training modules to serve as the structural knowledge base for the program. Organizational Training & Literacy: Build a scalable educational framework that elevates problem-solving capabilities across the entire workforce, from shop floor teams to executive leadership. Scalable Knowledge Management: Develop a robust system for disseminating best practices and lean methodologies that ensures sustainable growth as the manufacturing organization expands. Cross-Functional Process Improvement: Seamlessly integrate into the existing matrix organization to standardize work between departments, improve process capability, and deliver measurable quality improvements to products and workflows. KPI Development & Performance Reporting: Define and own key performance indicators for manufacturing, quality, and organizational performance; present data-driven insights and risk assessments to senior and executive leadership through regular management review meetings. Technical Oversight & Root Cause Analysis: Provide senior technical leadership on difficult troubleshooting challenges and root cause analysis; collaborate with engineering and production teams for disposition of complex non-conformances. Lean & Continuous Improvement: Champion and implement lean initiatives across all departments, driving visible, efficient, and sustainable improvements to processes and procedures at scale. Project & Design Quality: Support reviews for new and complex projects to ensure accuracy, safety, and quality are designed into products and processes from the outset. Cultural Transformation & Strategic Advocacy Visionary Cultural Champion: Act as the lead evangelist for continuous betterment, driving a fundamental paradigm shift from reactive mitigation to a proactive, problem-solving organizational mindset. Mentorship & Critical Thinking: Coach and educate workforce teams on advanced analytical frameworks to identify systemic waste and challenge existing operational norms through disciplined inquiry. Cross-Functional Integration: Cultivate deep collaborative partnerships across the matrix to secure stakeholder buy-in and ensure Lean principles are woven into the natural DNA of daily workflows. Kaizen Implementation & Strategic Value Realization Kaizen Strategic Framework: Design a comprehensive methodology for the discovery, prioritization, and rapid execution of high-level Kaizen workshops within manufacturing and across supporting matrixed teams. Operational Leadership & Certification: Serve as the lead facilitator for transformative Kaizen initiatives while building internal literacy by certifying a cohort of practitioners to scale these methodologies. Data-Driven CI Analytics: Construct sophisticated financial models and rigorous performance metrics to quantify, track, and present the tangible impact of continuous improvement efforts to the executive board. Workforce Development & Technical Instruction Leadership Strategic Team Governance: Provide high-level guidance and executive oversight to the technical instruction cohort within Crusoe Industries. Operational Alignment: Secure fundamental synchronization between instructional playbooks, technical SOPs, and competency frameworks to meet rigorous production and safety mandates. Instructional Integration: Synthesize abstract optimization methodologies with pragmatic, shop-floor technical proficiency to ensure seamless execution. What You’ll Bring to the Team: Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a relevant technical field; an advanced degree or MBA is considered a significant asset. Professional Credentials: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt from an established institution is preferred; a commitment to achieving these certifications is essential. Operational Leadership Tenure: A minimum of 10 years in manufacturing or industrial leadership, with a demonstrated history of establishing or scaling enterprise-wide Lean/CI frameworks. Curriculum Architecture Proficiency: Proven capability in designing bespoke technical training content, curriculum development, and orchestrating high-impact educational initiatives. Strategic Influence & Philosophy: Superior interpersonal acumen with a culture-centric approach; able to bridge the gap between shop-floor personnel and executive leadership to drive organizational evolution. Benefits: Competitive compensation and equity packages Restricted Stock Units Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance Employer contributions to HSA account Paid parental leave Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability Professional development & tuition reimbursement Mental health & wellness support Commuter benefits (parking & transit) Cell phone stipend 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary Volunteer time off Global travel insurance & emergency assistance Daily meals allowance Additional perks & programs specific to location Compensation Range: Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $210,000 -$245,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant's knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation. #J-18808-Ljbffr Epoch Biodesign