Operational Excellence Lead

Operational Excellence Lead

At Bayer we're visionaries, driven to solve the world's toughest challenges and striving for a world where 'Health for all Hunger for none' is no longer a dream, but a real possibility. We're doing it with energy, curiosity and sheer dedication, always learning from unique perspectives of those around us, expanding our thinking, growing our capabilities and redefining 'impossible'. There are so many reasons to join us. If you're hungry to build a varied and meaningful career in a community of brilliant and diverse minds to make a real difference, there's only one choice.

This role leads all Operational Excellence and Capabilities activities, for the CH PS NA Myerstown site. The role leads a dynamic team and is accountable to spearhead the deployment and integration of the PSS (Product Supply System) program and capabilities built across all functions at the Myerstown site. The role is responsible for creating a functional and business vision and strategies to transform the organization from a PSS phase 0 to phase 4 site leading to top decile operational performance within the industry by fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and sustainable excellence. The role requires a strategic mindset, strong leadership capabilities, and a focus on driving innovation, digitalization, and cost efficiency.

This role must provide strong leadership, coaching, and development for high performing teams with a culture based on the Bayer DSO principles. The role ensures the integration of PSS program with overall Factory of the Future site strategies (including automation, smart manufacturing, digitization, and digitally enabled workforce) and associated capabilities built for employees. The incumbent acts as a change agent, collaborating across all site functions to ensure that PSS principles, tools, and methodologies are effectively implemented and embedded into daily operations. The role is accountable for creating measurable value by accelerating the plant's journey to world-class performance, ensuring that plant performance exceeds benchmark standards in product supply and operational outcomes.

The role embraces Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO) principles and practices and follows the VACC approach to leadership (being a visionary, architect, catalyst, and coach). The role actively evolves the site operating model and fosters successful adoption of DSO.

Your tasks and responsibilities include:

• Team Leadership: Act as VACC (Visionary, Architect, Coach and Catalyst) to build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of professionals, promoting a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• People Development: Shape employee development, evaluation, and career path based on skills; build a diverse, inclusive talent pool where members share and support each other to build their expertise; recruit, hire, and onboard new employees, based on team requirements.
• Team Capability: Support teams to learn in rapid cycles and build capabilities needed to create value for customers and other stakeholders.
• Strategy Development: Collaborate with cross-functional team leads and develop a comprehensive site strategy related to space utilization, new innovative manufacturing technologies, facility layout and expansion, integration with site and global/regional innovation programs, and building resiliency into the plant operating modules leading to a 5+ year site strategy.
• Operational Excellence / PSS Program: Ensure the development and execution of robust Operational Excellence, Efficiencies and Continuous Improvement strategies for all functions in alignment with global PSS (Product Supply Systems) program.
• Factory Innovation, New Technologies and Cost Improvement: Drive a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and Factory of the Future (digitalization) initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase productivity.
• Capabilities Building: Responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining comprehensive learning initiatives across the site to develop skills and adopt a digitally enabled mindset.
• Quality & Compliance: Lead and protect our "License to Operate". Ensure that OE and Training function processes are always maintained in excellent cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) conditions, cGMP compliance is fully met and required training programs are developed and implemented.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with core operations, supply chain, quality, controlling, Manufacturing IT, CoE Hubs, procurement, HR, and other departments to ensure seamless collaboration across all functions.
• Performance Metrics: Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the end-to-end performance, capability building, efficiency and productivity enhancement, making data-driven decisions to optimize operations etc.

Bayer seeks an incumbent who possesses the following:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or master's degree with multi-functional experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, or Operational Excellence/LEAN.
• 10 years with bachelor's or 8 years with master's degree with leadership/production/supervisory experience in FDA, pharmaceutical industry is preferred.
• Multifunctional and deep experience of complex manufacturing management in the consumer and/or pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience in successful organizational transformation and change management initiatives.
• Excellent project management skills, with deep experience in LEAN methodologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Ability to inspire and motivate employees to embrace change and continuous learning, analytical mindset for assessing training impact and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Proven experience in training, learning & development, or capability building.
• Strong knowledge of digital technologies, tools, and trends relevant to the workplace.
• Exceptional people leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, capable of engaging effectively with all levels of the organization and external partners to concisely influence executive leadership peers.
• Leading with purpose, driving inclusion, respecting differences, and showing up as authentic best self.
• Applies VACC leadership behaviors and approach, demonstrates high self-awareness as well as system awareness, and pro-actively asks for and gives feedback.
• Demonstrates strategic thinking as well as good business- and external trends insights.
• Creates impact by realizing authentic self and purpose, and includes others: respects differences, embraces inclusion and shows up as the best self.
• Dynamically allocates talents with right skill set based on business needs and defined outcomes.
• Thorough understanding of the regulatory arena involving GMP, OSHA, EPA, and Bayer standards are essential.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Green Belt and/or Black Belt

Employees can expect to be paid a salary between $144,400.00 - $216,600.00. Additional compensation may include a bonus or incentive compensation (if relevant). Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, sick leave, etc. This salary range is merely an estimate and may vary based on an applicant's location, market data/ranges, an applicant's skills and prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications, and other relevant factors. This posting will be available for application until at least 3/23/26.