Description
Mini-Circuits designs, manufactures and distributes integrated circuits, modules, and sub-systems for high-performance radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications. With design, sales and manufacturing locations in over 30 countries, Mini-Circuits’ products are used in a range of wired and wireless communications applications. Our products are also used in detection, measurement and imaging applications, including military communication, guidance and electronic countermeasure systems, commercial, scientific, military land, sea and aircraft; automotive systems, medical systems, and industrial test equipment.
Mini-Circuits’ sells its products to over 20,000 customers globally through our direct sales force, applications engineering staff, sales representatives, as well as through our extensive website.
Position Summary:
The Manager of Operational Excellence leads the Project Management team and owns the operational performance of the BU. This role is responsible for defining and driving attainment of BU-wide operational KPIs, creating and overseeing execution of process improvement plans, assessing organizational capacity, and owning the budgeting of resources and tools needed to support the BU's growth. Rather than managing individual projects directly, this role provides strategic direction and guidance to the Project Managers, ensuring their execution aligns with business goals.
The Manager of Operational Excellence has the authority to direct the Project Management team's day-to-day priorities and throughput. Verify that the BU consistently delivers against its KPIs, process improvement commitments, and resource plans, and that individual project managers execute within the specified constraints of time, cost, and quality to achieve the potential benefits defined in each business case.
Job Function:
Project Management Governance & Standards
- Own the Project Management governance, standards, methodologies, and the stage-gate process to ensure consistent, high-quality project execution across the µCeramIQ Business Unit.
- Ensure Project Managers consistently execute company methodology and remove organizational barriers that impede delivery.
- Establish and own practices, templates, policies, tools, and partnerships to expand and mature the capabilities for the BU organization.
Project Manager Leadership & Coaching
- Provide on-site leadership for the Project Management team by building and motivating Project Managers to meet portfolio goals, holding them accountable to their responsibilities and project milestones.
- Coach, mentor, motivate, and develop the Project Management team, directing their work to fulfill departmental goals.
- Manage the day-to-day activities of the Project Management team and chair project management team meetings.
Portfolio Management & Executive Reporting
- Oversee the Project Management team's portfolio of complex initiatives that span one or multiple lines of business, with a specific focus on the µCeramIQ Business Unit's projects.
- Own portfolio reviews, prioritization, and executive-level reporting on delivery status, risks, and benefits.
- Provide status reporting regarding portfolio milestones, deliverables, dependencies, risks, and issues, communicating across leadership.
- Deliver appropriate and effective executive-level communication.
Capacity & Resource Planning
- Assess organizational capacity and maintain a rolling capacity model that maps headcount, equipment, and third-party resources against program demand and growth forecasts.
- Develop resource and capacity plans aligned with growth forecasts, and procure adequate resources to achieve Project Management objectives in planned timeframes.
Operational KPI Ownership
- Define, implement, and own attainment of BU-wide KPIs — covering delivery, cost, quality, training and cycle time — through structured dashboards and review cadences.
- Report on portfolio-level success criteria results, metrics, and deployment management activities.
Lean & Continuous Improvement
- Create and oversee execution of process improvement plans, driving standardized processes and methodologies to eliminate waste, improve yield, and embed continuous improvement across the products’ lifecycle.
- Identify bottlenecks, standardize workflows, and improve organizational throughput.
- Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives across Engineering.
Budget Ownership
- Own NPI budgeting of resources and materials supporting the product development process
- Recommend investments in personnel, equipment, and digital tools to support the BU’s growth.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Direct the Project Management team to ensure the overall portfolio of projects is aligned to and directly supports the achievement of strategic objectives.
- Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Learning & Development, and Finance to align priorities and remove cross-functional barriers.
- Manage portfolio-level issues and risks to mitigate impact to baseline.
- Work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment demonstrating teamwork, innovation, and excellence.
- Continue professional development in order to keep abreast of emerging technologies, methods, and best practices.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent work experience; Master's Degree preferred
- 7+ years of leadership experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, or project/program management, including tracking and planning cross-functional initiatives
- 7+ years of experience working with business stakeholders within a cross-functional matrix environment
- Technically competent with various software programs, including but not limited to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio), Microsoft Projects, SmartSheet, and Jira.
- Demonstrated expertise in Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Kaizen, 5S, VSM, DMAIC) is required.
- Good understanding of project and program management principles, methods and techniques
- Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall frameworks is a plus.
- Strong leadership, diplomatic and motivational skills including the ability to lead up, across and down a cross-functional organization.
- Understand interdependencies between technology, operations and business needs
- Proven ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment demonstrating teamwork, innovation and excellence.
- Excellent leadership, communication (written, verbal and presentation) and interpersonal skills.
- Experience drafting and submitting budget proposals and recommending subsequent budget changes where necessary
- Experience leading, motivating and managing various project and program team sizes, including internal and external resources, while holding team accountable for performance
- Experience influencing and gaining buy-in from executive sponsors, team members, stakeholders and peers
- Team-building skills with technical and non-technical staff
- Proven experience leading and developing a team of project managers, engineers, or continuous improvement practitioners, including performance management and professional development
- Experience developing and owning departmental KPIs, budgets, and capacity plans to support organizational growth
- Strong executive communication skills and demonstrated organizational change leadership
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to operate a computer keyboard. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Cultural Focus:
- Displays enthusiasm and Passion for their work
- Works to the standard of Uncompromising Quality by meeting or exceeding stated objectives and embracing continuous improvement
- Exercises sound Business Judgement, ensuring that efforts are on track with the Company’s goals
- Operates with the mindset of Customer Obsession – by meeting or exceeding expectations to both internal and external customers
- Takes Accountability by taking ownership and accepting responsibility for their conduct and contributions
- Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency and accomplishes tasks with Speed and attention to detail
- Cooperates, collaborates and contributes to shared goals with a strong sense of Teamwork
- Conducts themselves with Honesty & Integrity and treats all members with Trust & Respect
Additional Requirements/Skills:
- Comply, understand, and support corporate safety initiatives to ensure a safe work environment
- Ability and willingness to abide by Company’s Code of Conduct
- Occasional travel, some overnight, as required
Disclaimer: The listed qualifications and requirements for each position are intended as guidelines. Mini-Circuits reserves the right to hire outside of these guidelines at Management’s discretion.
Mini-Circuits is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, familial status, gender identity, gender dysphoria, pregnancy-related condition, and domestic violence victim status or protected class characteristic, or any other protected characteristic as established by federal or state law.