The posting
About this role:
The Senior Value Stream Manager / Operations Leader owns the end-to-end performance of a major value stream or operating segment within Carrier’s Fort Worth manufacturing facility, a complex operation expected to employ approximately 1,500 people. This position leads through a cross-functional organization and is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, working capital, productivity, organizational capability, and customer performance from supplier through finished product. The role serves as a key member of the site leadership team, influences facility-wide strategy and execution, and is intended to build the breadth, judgment, and leadership readiness required to succeed into Plant Manager responsibility.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own end-to-end business and operational performance for a major value stream or operating segment, delivering commitments across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, productivity, inventory, working capital, and customer service.
- Translate site and business strategy into annual operating plans, capacity and labor strategies, capital priorities, productivity roadmaps, and disciplined execution rhythms.
- Lead and develop a multi-layer organization of managers, supervisors, technical leaders, and front-line employees across multiple shifts; build a robust succession pipeline and strengthen leadership capability.
- Serve as a senior member of the site leadership team, acting for the Plant Manager when assigned and contributing to facility-wide decisions, governance, risk management, and stakeholder alignment.
- Establish and sustain a Zero Harm culture through visible leadership, standard work, risk identification, regulatory compliance, effective incident prevention, and accountability at every organizational level.
- Direct daily, weekly, and monthly operating reviews using SQDCP metrics, tiered accountability, financial and production data, escalation routines, and structured problem-solving to deliver predictable results.
- Drive Lean transformation and operating-system maturity through value stream design, standard work, flow, pull systems, SMED, kaizen, visual management, and leader standard work.
- Partner across Materials, SIOP, Quality, Engineering, EHS, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Distribution to align demand, capacity, resources, and customer priorities.
- Lead complex product launches, transfers, capacity expansions, automation, and capital projects while managing operational continuity, readiness, and customer risk.
- Own productivity, conversion cost, labor efficiency, OEE, scrap, rework, overtime, adherence to plan, and cost-out performance; identify gaps and implement sustainable recovery plans.
- Lead containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective action for significant safety, quality, delivery, supplier, and customer issues, ensuring changes are sustained through process controls and governance.
- Build an inclusive, high-accountability culture that strengthens employee engagement, retention, talent development, cross-functional collaboration, and responsiveness to change.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or Business
- 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including substantial responsibility as a Plant Manager, Senior Operations Manager, multi-site leader, or Value Stream Manager within a large, complex operation.
- 10+ years of experience leading large-scale, multi-shift manufacturing organizations through managers and supervisors, with accountability for several hundred direct and indirect employees.
- 10+ years of experience owning operational performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, productivity, inventory, and customer service, supported by measurable business results.
- 10+ years of experience managing budgets, conversion cost, capital, labor, productivity, and operating plans.
- 7+ years of experience with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement, with a record of leading transformations using value stream management, standard work, flow, pull systems, kaizen, and structured problem-solving.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or Business Administration.
- Plant Manager experience in a comparably sized facility, or senior operations responsibility across multiple smaller manufacturing sites.
- Leadership experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, metal fabrication, or another complex engineered-product environment, ideally with a direct Carrier competitor.
- Experience partnering across Quality, Engineering, Materials, Supply Chain, EHS, Finance, Human Resources, Commercial, and senior business leadership to resolve complex operational and customer issues.
- Demonstrated success building leadership teams, developing successors, leading organizational change, and strengthening employee engagement in a high-accountability environment.
- Direct P&L responsibility.
- Ability to communicate clearly with front-line employees, customers, functional leaders, and executives and to make timely decisions under ambiguity and operational pressure.
- Experience starting up, expanding, transferring, or materially transforming a large manufacturing operation, including workforce ramp-up and operating-system deployment.
- Cross-border or global leadership experience supporting U.S. customers, supply networks, engineering organizations, or distributed manufacturing operations.
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, APICS certification, or comparable operational-excellence credential.
- Demonstrated readiness and aspiration to progress into full Plant Manager accountability for a large, complex facility.
