Director, Operational Excellence-North

Make an Impact With Us At Vallourec, we are seeking individuals whose passion and dedication match the strength and resilience of the steel we produce. The Director of Operational Excellence (OpEx) will be a highly qualified continuous improvement professional and leader with deep experience in achieving transformative results and working within a management system environment. The role is tasked with the facilitation and deployment of the DRIVE+ (OpEx Management System) and effectively driving the change management necessary to win the hearts and minds of all employees and foster collaboration and participation in design, input and adoption of DRIVE+.

At Vallourec, we are seeking individuals whose passion and dedication match the strength and resilience of the steel we produce. The Director of Operational Excellence (OpEx) will be a highly qualified continuous improvement professional and leader with deep experience in achieving transformative results and working within a management system environment. The role is tasked with the facilitation and deployment of the DRIVE+ (OpEx Management System) and effectively driving the change management necessary to win the hearts and minds of all employees and foster collaboration and participation in design, input and adoption of DRIVE+.

The position leads enterprise‑wide continuous improvement by designing, deploying, and sustaining the DRIVE+ Lean Business Management System and Six Sigma methodology across operations and key support functions. This role is accountable for building a high‑performance culture rooted in customer value, waste elimination, process capability, and daily management discipline from frontline operators to plant leadership.

The Director partners with General Managers, Plant Managers, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, HSSE, and Maintenance to deliver measurable performance to translate strategy into executable improvement priorities, develop organizational capability, and deliver measurable results in safety, quality (first pass yield), delivery, cost, and inventory control. This leadership position is accountable for creating a culture of continuous improvement, strengthening process capability, and ensuring that manufacturing processes, work systems, and daily management routines are robust, repeatable, and scalable across the network.

• Design and deploy the enterprise DRIVE+ management system tailored for manufacturing and support function operations which include:
  • Tiered daily accountability meetings (L1, L2, L3 Daily Meeting design and oversight)
  • Visual factor performance boards and standard KPI displays
  • Standard Work and Synchronized Agenda for shop floor leaders, technicians and team leaders
  • Gemba-based problem‑solving routines
• Establish consistent management routines that sustain performance and expose abnormalities rapidly.
• Ensure LBMS practices are integrated with existing operational rhythms (S&OP, production meetings, quality reviews, finance cadence).
• Own the enterprise Six Sigma roadmap and certification pathway (Yellow/Green/Black Belt), including curriculum, coaching, and governance.
• Lead and/or sponsor high‑impact DMAIC projects that improve process capability, reduce variation, and strengthen CTQ performance.
• Build statistical problem‑solving capability across the organization (MSA, SPC, capability analysis, hypothesis testing, regression as relevant).
• Create a portfolio view of improvements with quantified benefits and verified financial impact.
• Translate business strategy into an improvement pipeline: throughput, capacity, OEE, lead time, scrap/rework, cost reduction, working capital, and service.
• Prioritize initiatives using data‑driven selection criteria (benefit, feasibility, risk, strategic alignment).
• Establish and chair OpEx governance: project reviews, tollgates, financial validation, benefits tracking, and sustainment audits.
• Drive cross‑functional transformation efforts (manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, maintenance, customer service, and administrative processes).
• Define, standardize, and govern KPI definitions and reporting (leading and lagging indicators).
• Embed root cause…