Position Title:  Operational Excellence Manager

Date:  Dec 5, 2025
Requisition ID:  17964
Work Location: 

Owensboro, KY, US, 42301

Operational Excellence Manager - Owensboro KY

 

Be a part of a revolutionary change! 

 

At Philip Morris International (PMI), we’ve chosen to do something incredible. We’re totally transforming our business and building our future on one clear purpose – to deliver a smoke-free future. 

 

With huge change, comes huge opportunity. So, if you join us, you’ll enjoy the freedom to dream up and deliver better, brighter solutions and the space to move your career forward in endlessly different directions. Our success depends on people who are committed to our purpose and have an appetite for progress.  

 

This position sits with our Swedish Match affiliate.

 

As the Operational Excellence Manager, you will lead the deployment of a continuous improvement methodology within the affiliate, aiming to enhance people capabilities, achieve significant performance improvements, and drive innovation by increasing organizational reliability and agility.

 

Your ‘day to day’

 

Deployment and Integration: Ensure the integrated and collaborative deployment of strategy to increase engagement and ownership, delivering value through the adoption and improvement of PMI/region/cluster best practices in a standardized and systematic way.

 

Supply Chain and Digital Journey: Lead the end-to-end supply chain and digital journey at the site according to phase progression.

 

Communication Strategies: Define and implement internal communication strategies and plans, ensuring both top-down and bottom-up communication approaches in line with the company's objectives.

 

Safety & Sustainability: 

• Ensure full compliance with local legislation and company policies and practices.

• Adhere to all Environment, Health, and Safety (Sustainability) rules, policies, and practices.

• Ensure safety instruction, traineeship, and knowledge assessment for subordinates as required by applicable legislation.

• Promote a safety-first mindset by demonstrating consistent behaviors and leading by example.

• Ensure the execution of OPEN+ tools, concepts, methodology and team engagement in sustainability programs.

 

Quality:

• Ensure alignment with global operating standards, promoting sustainable knowledge sharing on continuous improvement tools and methods, standard work processes, daily management systems, and pillars. 

 

Delivery:

• Lead the implementation and deployment of Lean manufacturing according to the defined region/cluster strategy to establish an integrated operating system.

• Represent the affiliate in region/cluster meetings and workshops, ensuring challenges, priorities, and initiatives are integrated into the region/cluster plans.

• Ensure overall accountability and governance of loss elimination deployment and its sustainability within the affiliate.

• Develop the affiliate’s strategy and roadmap in line with region/cluster plans to achieve continuous improvement.

• Assess the organization and processes to develop efficient and effective plans.

 

Cost:

• Continuously review best practices and adjust affiliate plans to maximize people engagement, drive innovation, and increase organizational agility to deliver business results.

• Ensure best practices are recognized, shared, and adopted into affiliate standards.

 

Morale:

• Ensure a proper organization structure, including a robust career path to meet objectives and plans.

• Maintain a pipeline of talent to support continuous improvement efforts and sustain expertise and capabilities.

• Support organizational leaders in driving the continuous improvement culture.

• Coordinate training activities related to initiative deployment.

 

Internal Communication:

• Develop and manage internal communication strategies and systems to ensure alignment with company strategies, objectives, values, and behaviors at the affiliate level.

• Lead and develop the internal communication community to ensure effective use of communication tools and channels.

 

Who we’re looking for:

 

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
  • 5 years of experience in Manufacturing, Quality/LEAN, Product Development, Supply Chain, or other relevant departments.
  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in managing others.  Change Management preferred
  • Knowledge of integrated operating systems, lean/continuous improvement methods and tools, manufacturing processes, quality and PPMD processes, PMI sustainability practices and standards, supply chain processes, and PMI HR practices and processes.
  • Six Sigma Black or Green Belt Certified preferred

 

Annual Base Salary Range: $ 127,500 - $170,000

 

What’s ‘nice to have’

 

Legally authorized to work in the U.S. (required)

 

What we offer 

 

  • We offer a competitive base salary, annual bonus (applicable based on level of position), great medical, dental and vision coverage, 401k with a generous company match, incredible wellness benefits, and much more! 
  • Seize the freedom to define your future and ours. We’ll empower you to take risks, experiment and explore. 
  • Be part of an inclusive, diverse culture where everyone’s contribution is respected; Collaborate with some of the world’s best people and feel like you belong. 
  • Pursue your ambitions and develop your skills with a global business – our staggering size and scale provides endless opportunities to progress. 
  • Take pride in delivering our promise to society: To improve the lives of millions of smokers. 

 

PMI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PMI is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and its U.S. affiliates have more than 2,300 employees

 

PMI has been an entirely separate company from Altria and Philip Morris USA since 2008. PMI’s affiliates first entered the U.S. market following the company’s acquisition of Swedish Match in late 2022.Philip Morris International and its U.S. affiliates are working to deliver a smoke-free future. Since 2008, PMI has invested $12.5 billion globally to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke with the goal of transitioning legal-age consumers who smoke to better alternatives. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match – a leader in oral nicotine delivery – creating a global smoke-free champion led by the IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized versions of PMI’s IQOS electronically heated tobacco devices and Swedish Match’s General snus as Modified Risk Tobacco Products and renewal applications for these products are presently pending before the FDA. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com/us and www.pmiscience.com.

#PMIUS   #LI-DH1


Nearest Major Market: Owensboro