Operational Excellence (OpEx) Leader in Falls Church, Virginia at Kastle Systems

Position Overview:

The OpEx Leader is responsible for designing, deploying, and sustaining the Kastle Lean Operating System to ensure high levels of efficiency, consistency, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. This role will oversee Transformation including the Kaizen and continuous improvement programs, Leader Standard Work and tiered operating rhythms, the Standards Council, operational initiatives, and Lean training. Working alongside the Regional SVPs and the national functional leaders, the OpEx Leader will ensure that each area works together seamlessly to support business goals, minimize costs, and improve overall operational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Lean Operating System:
• Drive the design and deployment of the Kastle Lean Operating System: value stream focus, Leader Standard Work, visual management, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain the tiered operating rhythms that connect strategy to the frontline: daily huddles, weekly regional reviews and control tower, monthly MOR, and quarterly North Star review.
• Working with Region Leaders and national functional leaders, ensure Leader Standard Work adherence across the markets and overall enterprise.
• Evolve Best Practice for Lean and continuous improvement and drive out waste achieving annual budgetary goals while driving adherence and training.
• Partner with learning and development to design and deliver Lean, problem-solving, and Kaizen facilitation training for leaders and frontline teams, building internal bench strength and succession planning.
2. Kaizen and Continuous Improvement Program:
• Lead the Kaizen program, selecting and chartering events on our biggest operational issues and running a disciplined method: go to Gemba, value stream mapping, root cause, future state, and sustain.
• Own the RAIL across all workstreams so every action carries a named owner, target, and date, with 30/60/90-day reviews and a regular add, hold, or stop decision.
• Focus the organization on fewer things, finished: protect must-win actions, apply field-load guardrails, and roll out changes in waves approved by operations leaders.
3. Transformation Management:
• Run the Operations transformation roadmap, including the phased move to the functional matrix, with clear phase gates and exit criteria.
• Apply structured change management so every workflow change has an owner, training, and an adoption check.
• Report transformation progress, risks, and decisions needed to the COO and Operating Committee.
4. Standards and Process Governance:
• Run the Standards Council cadence to set one standard for leveling, specialization, and work across regions.
• Partner with the National Installation, National Service, and Central Operations Leaders to document standard work and playbooks for each function, reducing process variation and redundant tools.
• Maintain decision rights and RACI between regions and functions, and escalate unresolved conflicts to the COO.
5. Value Realization and Cost Out:
• Quantify, track, and report realized value from Kaizen and cost-out initiatives in partnership with finance, distinguishing EBITDA savings from capacity gains.
• Identify and eliminate waste across the value stream, from sale to install to service, to improve utilization and reduce estimate-to-actual slip.
• Establish clear benefit metrics and accountability for initiative owners to align with company objectives.
6. Performance Management and Visual Management:
• Partner with Analytics & Enablement to maintain one North Star and MOR scorecard with consistent KPI definitions and a single source of truth.
• Deploy visual management and RAG status at every tier so performance, problems, and priorities surface quickly and issues escalate in days, not months.

Financial and Operational Impact:

• Drive financial performance through operational efficiencies and cost reductions across the Kaizen program, cost-out initiatives, and process standardization.
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success in each area and ensure continuous improvement.
• Work closely with the COO and CFO to align operational planning with financial goals and contribute to the overall profitability of the organization.

Leadership and Collaboration:

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and excellence.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and other departments (sales, operations, finance) to align business strategies and operations.
• Ensure effective communication of operational goals and performance across the organization.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement in which frontline experts, not individual heroics, design and own the solution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in operational excellence, Lean, continuous improvement, or transformation roles, with 5+ years in a leadership position.
• Strong knowledge of Lean principles, Kaizen facilitation, value stream mapping, Leader Standard Work, and tiered daily management; Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent preferred.
• Proven track record of driving operational efficiencies and cost savings in a complex, multi-faceted organization, ideally in field service, installation, or multi-site operations.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading change across a matrix organization and influencing leaders without direct authority.
• Proficiency in ERP and CRM systems and data analytics to drive decision-making.