Senior Director Operational Continuous Improvement

Company Information: Twenty-Six Defense, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading provider of high-performance products, system solutions, and aftermarket support services focusing on the defense, homeland security, and commercial aviation markets. With facilities throughout the U.S., Twenty-Six Defense is dedicated to supporting those who contribute to the national security of the United States. Twenty-Six Defense is wholly owned by Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT and TASE: ESLT), a global high-technology company engaged in a wide range of programs for innovative defense and commercial applications. Job Summary The Senior Director of Continuous Improvement (CI) is responsible for building, leading, and sustaining a culture of operational excellence across all facilities. This role drives simplification, standardization, waste elimination, and data-driven decision-making, ensuring teams improve every day through disciplined execution, visible metrics, and cross-functional collaboration. The leader will champion the GRIT mindset—Growth through Relentless Improvement & Teamwork—while enabling teams to identify opportunities, remove barriers, and deliver consistent, measurable results. Responsibilities and Tasks Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Culture Building Serve as the enterprise champion for continuous improvement, fostering a unified, sustainable CI culture across all sites. Embed GRIT behaviors into daily operations, ensuring simplification, standardization, and operational excellence become integrated into how teams work. Partner with leaders across Production, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and functional teams to drive cohesive improvement efforts. Continuous Improvement Program Ownership Develop and deploy enterprise CI frameworks, including tiered daily management, visual performance boards, SQDCP metrics, and waste-elimination practices. Lead root-cause problem-solving, RCCA effectiveness, Pareto-based defect analysis, and workflow redesign to reduce downtime and non-value-added activities. Facilitate Kaizen events and process audits, and standardize documentation of GRIT initiatives, including the development of cost models for measured improvements. Monitor key CI indicators, including HPU, cycle time versus takt time, OTD trends, defect visibility, and manpower planning, and ensure corrective actions address root causes. Support cross-functional collaboration through Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to rapidly address barriers such as material shortages and production bottlenecks. Mentor and empower site-level CI practitioners, GRIT Champions, and operational leaders to build problem-solving capabilities and promote collaboration. Teach the use of lean tools, the DMAIC method, Value Stream Mapping, and other CI methodologies. Promote the sharing of best practices across sites to accelerate improvement and unify operational standards. Knowledge (Education, License, Certification, and Prior Experience) Required Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field. Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. 12+ years of relevant experience, including 7+ years of formal management experience. Demonstrated experience leading complex CI initiatives across functions or sites. Preferred Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Experience in aerospace, defense, or regulated manufacturing environments. Experience with strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri), daily management systems, or operating-system design. Experience leading enterprise-level CI maturity, governance, or operating-system structures. Skills and Abilities Skills & Abilities Executive-level written and verbal communication, facilitation, and presentation skills. Ability to professionally interact with all levels of the company, from executives and leaders to cross-functional teams and factory employees. Strong analytical and statistical data-analysis skills. Ability to influence, coach, and develop employees at all levels. De…

View the full posting and apply