Operational Excellence Continuous Improvement (CI OpEx ) Coach

Location: Pleasant Prairie
Posted on: June 23, 2025

Job Description:

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Position Description: The CI OpEx team provides leadership in operational excellence and continuous improvement efforts by combining knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing and support functions with CI OpEx principles and tools (e.g., Lean Manufacturing, Lean/Six Sigma for Service/Functional Areas, etc.) The focus of the CI OpEx Coach role is to partner with all organizational levels across local and global business to deploy operational excellence standards and support both event and non-event-based continuous improvement. Results include, but are not limited to, cycle time reduction, increased asset effectiveness, expense reduction, 5S workplace, improved quality, right-first-time execution, as well as increased employee morale at all levels due to more time being spent on patient value-added activities. Key Objectives/Deliverables: Lean Deployment to Enable Operational Excellence Empower individuals and teams to use lean behaviors and mindsets to strive for execution excellence Lead events to train Lean Practitioners and support deployment of Lean in the business, including, but not limited to systems such as daily management, standard work, 5S, A3 thinkings, and value stream management Educate the team members and practitioners on CI OpEx approaches and partner with leadership to engage all employees in the CI OpEx journey Serve as ongoing CI OpEx coach for areas already deployed, ensuring the discipline to sustain Lean remains in place Assess areas already deployed to promote ongoing continuous improvement of lean deployment Contribute to the Lean program design, developing elements which are common across process areas Capture benefits of Lean program and celebrate successes Breakthrough (event-based) Improvement Projects Partner with site leadership to identify and prioritize major productivity improvement opportunities Serve as CCI Coach partnering with Business Area Leads to facilitate the chosen methodology for the given project (e.g., Kaizen Event) Provide support to ensure robust Organizational Change Management and Monitoring Plans are in place to sustain improvements Engage routinely with sponsors to provide status and escalate where appropriate as issues arise Ensure lean principles and tools are integrated into both project execution and solution design Other Maintain CI OpEx Coach certification Minimum Requirements: Demonstrated strong written and oral communication and interpersonal interaction skills to be able to work effectively in a team-based environment Strong self-management and organizational skills Ability to coach individuals at all levels, and lead project teams Ability to influence without authority Additional Preferences: Direct Leadership experience (2-8 years of experience) Relevant experience in a GMP facility Knowledge of cGMPs SAP Experience Experience in a regulated manufacturing or service environment (e.g., pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical devices, etc.) Familiarity with change control processes Experience in Lean Manufacturing, Six-Sigma, or other productivity improvement methods Experience with project management and change management Experience in manufacturing functional roles (operations, process engineering, quality, tech service) Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s degree Other Requirements: Day shift with possible after hour support On-site presence in Kenosha County, WI Project delivery may coincide with company holidays Occasional travel may be required for training, conferences, project facilitation, etc. Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $57,750 - $129,800 Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees. WeAreLilly

Keywords: , Crystal Lake , Operational Excellence Continuous Improvement (CI OpEx ) Coach, Manufacturing , Pleasant Prairie, Illinois