Operations Excellence Analyst

Description

• The Operational Excellence Analyst is a data-driven problem solver responsible for owning production KPI reporting, Excel-based dashboards, and performance analysis to support operational stability and continuous improvement.
• This role works closely with operations, quality, and customers to translate production data into clear insights, identify performance gaps, and help drive corrective actions and process improvements.
• The ideal candidate has strong Excel expertise, experience working in a production environment, and a Quality & Continuous Improvement mindset.
• This person not only reports metrics, but uses them to identify issues, fix broken processes, and build more robust, repeatable operations.
• This role is not limited to reporting and is expected to actively support problem identification, issue analysis, and performance improvement using KPI data.

Core Focus Of The Role

• Advanced Excel-based KPI dashboards and reporting.
• Production performance analysis and variance investigation.
• Problem solving and process improvement.
• Customer and stakeholder engagement.

KPI Reporting & Excel Dashboard Ownership

• Own the end-to-end KPI reporting process, including data extraction, calculation logic, validation, visualization, and issue escalation.
• Build, maintain, and enhance Excel-based KPI dashboards and standardized reporting templates used by operations and leadership.
• Ensure Excel dashboards are accurate, scalable, repeatable, and resilient to changes in data structure or volume.
• Apply advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, structured tables, complex formulas, dynamic charts, data validation) to support operational-grade reporting.
• Document KPI definitions, calculation logic, assumptions, and reporting standards to ensure consistency and trust in the data.
• Support the evolution of dashboards to improve clarity, usability, and decision-making effectiveness.

Performance Analysis & Insight Generation

• Perform variance analysis on key production and process metrics to understand deviations from targets.
• Monitor KPI trends and proactively identify abnormal conditions, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Translate dashboard outputs into clear performance narratives, explaining what is happening, why it matters, and where attention is needed.
• Summarize issues using data-backed problem statements, scope, impact, and contributing factors.

Problem Solving & Process Improvement

• Apply working knowledge of production environments to understand process flow, handoffs, constraints, and failure points.
• Identify broken, unstable, or inefficient processes through KPI trends, data analysis, and issue tracking.
• Support and help drive corrective actions and continuous improvement efforts in partnership with operations and quality teams.
• Contribute to building robust, repeatable, and measurable processes that improve performance and reduce variability.

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Fully accommodate customer business needs through accurate reporting, responsiveness, and clear communication.
• Maintain positive customer and stakeholder relationships by translating operational data into understandable insights.
• Communicate risks, opportunities, and performance trends effectively to operations and leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas, structured tables, dynamic charts).
• Experience owning or maintaining Excel-based KPI dashboards or recurring operational reports.
• Experience working in a production or operations environment.
• Strong understanding of KPIs, performance metrics, and variance analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze problems, summarize issues, and recommend actions using data.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with statistical analysis tools such as Minitab.
• Background similar to Quality Engineering or Continuous Improvement roles.
• Experience supporting root cause analysis or corrective action initiatives.
• Experience with Power BI or other visualization tools.