Operational Excellence Manager

Janicki Industries is an innovative, family‑owned aerospace company located at the foot of the Cascades. We focus on engineering and manufacturing complex projects for companies in the aerospace, defense, and space industries. We are looking for an Operational Excellence Manager to join our growing team. The Operational Excellence (OE) team partners with every part of Janicki to drive improved documentation, training, and standardization in support of our engineering and manufacturing processes. We identify inefficiencies, build scalable solutions, and equip teams across the organization to do their best work as Janicki continues to grow. As the OE Manager, you will lead a team focused on optimizing documentation, delivering ongoing training, and partnering with internal customers to build new training programs that scale with our growing portfolio. You'll coach and develop a high‑performing team, manage a portfolio of improvement projects from intake through delivery, and help shape the OE strategy alongside the Director. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, and operations — and we're looking for a leader who brings technical credibility alongside strong people and program leadership skills. If you enjoy leading people, building strong cross‑functional partnerships across operations, engineering, and administrative teams, and creating a better tomorrow — you've found the right place. Position Description This position is located on‑site in Sedro‑Woolley, Washington State. The following essential job functions are performed as an Operational Excellence Manager: People Leadership Lead, coach, and develop a team of OE professionals, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, regular 1:1s, and career development planning. Build team capacity and capability over time by identifying skill gaps, providing stretch opportunities, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Set clear expectations, provide timely feedback, and recognize team contributions. Program & Project Delivery Manage the OE project portfolio, ensuring milestones are met while actively managing scope, budget, and risks to delivery. Own the OE program budget, including forecasting, tracking, and reporting against plan. Establish and track key performance indicators (e.g., training completion and effectiveness, documentation adoption, project cycle time) to measure team and program impact. Drive change management activities to support adoption of new documentation, processes, and training across the organization. Stakeholder Partnership Partner with engineering, manufacturing, operations, and administrative leaders to understand technical and operational pain points, identify trends, and prioritize improvement opportunities. Solicit and refine requirements from internal customers to shape the OE delivery roadmap. Routinely review priorities with stakeholders to ensure the team is executing against the highest‑value work. Communicate program status, risks, and outcomes clearly and consistently to team members, peers, the Director, and executive leadership. Basic Qualifications Minimum 3 years of direct people management experience, including hiring, performance management, and team development. Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional projects or programs from concept through delivery. Prior experience working in or directly supporting an engineering, manufacturing, or other technical operations environment, with the ability to engage credibly with engineering and manufacturing leaders on technical topics. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging from technician to executive audiences. Proven ability to navigate ambiguous environments and translate organizational vision into clear direction and priorities for a team. Embodies and fosters a continuous improvement mindset. Due to our ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must be a US Citizen or of Legal Permanent Resident Status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b (a) (3). This position requires the ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance (U.S. Citizenship Required). Janicki will assist with gaining this access once employed. Special Access Program or other Government Access Requirements are mandatory for this position and require the candidate to agree to enter a Continuous Evaluation program. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, quality, or related) or another technical discipline. Experience in a manufacturing, engineering, and/or aerospace environment. Prior hands‑on experience as a practicing engineer, quality engineer, or manufacturing professional before moving into Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, or leadership. Track record leading technical improvement initiatives such as kaizen events, value stream mapping, NPI ramps, capacity expansions, or quality system improvements. Experience leading Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, or Quality functions. Certification in PMP, Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or equivalent. Experience with Agile methodology and applying it to non‑software delivery work. Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS), document control systems, or Quality Management Systems (QMS). Experience scaling training and documentation programs in a growing organization. Additional Information Salary range for this role is between $115,000 - $140,000, plus discretionary bonus, 401(k) matching, vacation, and health benefits. Employees can also receive additional pay for off shifts. The range provided is Janicki’s estimate of the base compensation for this role. Actual amount offered will be based on job‑related and non‑discriminatory factors such as experience, location, education, training, skills, and abilities. By applying for this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities where similar skills and requirements have been identified as a match. Should this match be identified, you may be contacted for this and future openings. Benefits Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contribution. Disability insurance as well as Life/AD&D insurance. HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer contribution and FSA (Flexible Savings Account). 401k with employer matching. Paid time off and paid holidays (including two floating holidays). Education reimbursement program. Several shift options. Premium pay for off‑shifts. Not sure that you’ll be the perfect fit for this role? You should still apply! We’ll review your application for other opportunities. We are always on the lookout for talented people! Janicki Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Janicki Industries does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, veteran/military service status, or any other legally protected status. Janicki is proud to be a military friendly employer. Applicants or employees wishing to view a copy of Janicki Industries’ Affimative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io. As a federal government contractor and a recipient of federal funding, Janicki is required to abide by federal drug testing requirements (including preemployment drug testing for cannabis). Additionally, because of Janicki’s work on aerospace products and the high volume of safety sensitive positions, Janicki takes the safety of its employees very seriously and requires that employees pass a preemployment drug test prior to starting employment. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr Janicki