Job Description

The Lean Operations Leader is the tactical enabler responsible for bringing the Dream State Factory vision to life across the entire Schenectady site. Reporting to the Site Lean Leader, this role manages the 5S and Moonshine hourly teams to upscale lean capabilities across all manufacturing lines.
This is a role for a Visual Leader who leads by example. You will be responsible for helping the site achieve our Target Conditions—the specific, incremental states of improvement that lead us toward our ultimate vision. You will use the Moonshine shop as your primary proof-of-concept, transforming it into the site’s Shiny star (The Engine of Continuous Improvement) of 5S, creativity, and standard work, proving that the Target Condition is not just a goal, but a repeatable reality.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Dream State Execution: Partner with the Site Lean Leader to execute the long-term vision for a world-class facility, translating our target conditions into physical shop-floor transformation.
• The Standard Bearer: Live by the example. Ensure the Moonshine shop and all team projects are the absolute benchmark for 5S excellence and standard work, serving as a teaching tool for the rest of the organization.
• Site-Wide Transformation: Use the 5S and Moonshine teams as a mobile strike force to improve flow, eliminate waste, and implement visual management across all manufacturing areas.
• Hourly Team Leadership: Direct management of two specialized groups (5S and Moonshine/Skilled Trades). Responsible for their safety, daily standard work, and technical development.
• Creative Problem Solving (Moonshine): Drive creative, low-cost solutions for complex problems like no-lift lines, ergonomic improvements, and automated process aids.

Responsibilities

• Visual Leadership: Embody and teach 5S and Lean principles daily. Maintain the Moonshine shop as a living laboratory where Target Conditions are always met and displayed.
• Coaching & Kata: Use a coaching mindset to help hourly teams identify the gap between the current state and the Target Condition, fostering a culture of scientific thinking and rapid PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act).
• Kaizen Leadership: Lead and participate in high-impact Kaizen events, focusing on laminar flow, Jidoka (automation with a human touch), and waste elimination.
• Technical Fabrication Oversight: Oversee the development and assembly of modular systems (Creform, 80/20) and complex working prototypes and to scale.
• Process Innovation: Identify opportunities to reduce cycle times and eliminate crane moves through innovative fixturing and station design.
• Budget & Material Management: Manage the Lean Team’s operational budget, including ordering supplies and tracking productivity gains for all site-wide projects related to moonshine and 5S projects.
• Labor Relations: Manage the interview, selection, and performance process for IUE-represented employees, ensuring compliance with local work rules and plant trade guidelines.

Qualifications / Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with +5 years of experience in a Lean manufacturing/shop operations (or a high school diploma/GED with at least 10–12 years of experience in Lean manufacturing/shop operations).

Desired Characteristics

• Ability to design and install "no-lift" production lines.
• Proficiency with modular framing (80/20, Creform) and general shop-floor fabrication tools.

• Creativity & Resourcefulness: A Moonshiner mindset—the ability to build a $10,000 solution for $2,500 using creativity instead of capital.
• Uncompromising Standards: A leader who views 5S and Standard Work as a foundational discipline and refuses to accept a good enough Current State when a better Target Condition is possible.
• Change Agent: Ability to influence shop-floor culture by showing, not just telling, what is possible.
• Analytical Mindset.
• Coach/Teacher: Passion for upscaling the capabilities of hourly employees and mentoring them in Lean methodologies.
• Direct Leadership: Proven track record of managing hourly teams and skilled trades in a union environment.
• Lean Mastery: Deep hands-on experience in 5S, Moonshine/Karakuri innovation, VSM, and Single-Piece Flow.
• Methodology: Strong understanding of defining Target Conditions and using Lean Coaching/Kata to drive improvement.

Additional Information

For candidates applying to a U.S. based position, the pay range for this position is between $104,600.00 and $174,400.00. The Company pays a geographic differential of 110%, 120% or 130% of salary in certain areas. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, education, and skill set.Bonus eligibility: discretionary annual bonus.This posting is expected to remain open for at least seven days after it was posted on July 23, 2026.Available benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to Health Coach from GE Vernova, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services. Retirement benefits include the GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants. Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability benefits, life insurance, 12 paid holidays, and permissive time off.GE Vernova Inc. or its affiliates (collectively or individually, “GE Vernova”) sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs GE Vernova reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a GE Vernova welfare benefit plan or program. This document does not create a contract of employment with any individual.