Regional Operational Excellence Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Regional Operational Excellence Manager

Who Are We?

A-Gas is the global expert in the supply and full life-cycle management of specialty chemicals and gases, providing refrigerants, blowing agents, fire protection agents, and carbon credit offsets to customers worldwide. Rapid Recovery, A-Gas's service division, is the industry's leading provider of refrigerant recovery services for the HVAC, refrigeration, demolition, and marine industries.

Through industry-leading recovery, reclamation, and gas processing technologies, A-Gas helps build a more sustainable future by reducing emissions and supporting the circular economy for refrigerants and specialty gases.

To learn more about A-Gas and our environmental mission, visit A-Gas US.

Purpose of the Role

The Regional Operational Excellence Manager serves as the operational excellence leader for A-Gas manufacturing and processing operations across North America, with primary responsibility for the Rhome, Texas facility and oversight of operational excellence initiatives supporting Bowling Green, Ohio and Canadian operations.

This role partners closely with site leadership and frontline teams to drive a culture where safety, continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence are embedded into daily operations. The successful candidate will lead initiatives that improve safety, quality, productivity, throughput, cost efficiency, and employee engagement while building sustainable systems and capabilities that drive long-term business performance.

This position has one direct report located in Bowling Green, Ohio, supporting operational excellence initiatives across Bowling Green and Canada. Travel up to 25% is required.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence Leadership

• Develop and execute regional operational excellence strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Translate site and business priorities into actionable improvement initiatives that deliver measurable results.

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline across multiple locations.

• Establish and sustain best practices across manufacturing, reclamation, laboratory, and cylinder operations.

Operational Performance Improvement

• Lead initiatives that improve throughput, productivity, quality, and cost performance.

• Identify and eliminate process constraints and operational bottlenecks.

• Optimize material flow, scheduling, asset utilization, and production efficiency.

• Support the development and deployment of key performance indicators (KPIs) and visual management systems.

• Drive improvements in cylinder turnaround time, labor productivity, and yield.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all improvement efforts support A-Gas's commitment to safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance.

• Embed a safety-first mindset into all operational excellence activities.

• Support incident investigations and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions.

• Ensure adherence to Management of Change (MOC) processes and all applicable regulatory requirements.

Standardization & Daily Management

• Implement and sustain standard work practices across operational functions.

• Drive daily management systems, including tier meetings, Gemba walks, visual management, and performance reviews.

• Develop accountability processes that support consistent execution across shifts and facilities.

• Ensure operational excellence systems are sustainable and embedded into daily work.

Problem Solving & Project Leadership

• Lead root cause analysis efforts for safety, quality, productivity, and reliability challenges.

• Facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping activities, and operational improvement workshops.

• Manage projects from opportunity identification through implementation and sustainability tracking.

• Ensure all improvement initiatives are data-driven, measurable, and aligned with strategic objectives.

Cost Reduction & Asset Optimization

• Deliver measurable cost savings through waste elimination, process optimization, and improved cylinder lifecycle management.

• Improve equipment utilization and operational efficiency across sites.

• Support capital projects that enhance safety, productivity, and operational effectiveness.

• Drive resource optimization while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Leadership, Change Management & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, and develop direct reports and operational teams.

• Build organizational capability in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem-solving, and operational excellence methodologies.

• Partner with leaders to drive sustainable behavior and process changes.

• Influence and engage employees at all levels to adopt and sustain improvements.

• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and EHS teams to align priorities and drive results.

• Communicate project progress, performance metrics, and business impact to site and regional leadership.

• Share best practices across locations to improve organizational effectiveness and operational consistency.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five or more years of experience leading operational excellence, continuous improvement, or Lean initiatives in manufacturing, chemical processing, industrial gas, or other process-driven environments.
• Demonstrated success delivering measurable improvements in safety, productivity, quality, throughput, and cost reduction.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to leverage data to drive decision-making.
• Experience leading teams and influencing change across all levels of an organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, operations-driven environment.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Multi-site manufacturing or operational improvement experience.
• Experience leading Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and Lean transformation initiatives.
• Experience developing KPI frameworks and daily management systems.
• Experience supporting capital improvement projects.
• Knowledge of chemical processing, specialty chemicals, industrial gases, environmental services, or related industries.
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