Director, Manufacturing Excellence

Mark Anthony Group is an entrepreneurial drinks company, built from the ground up by thinking differently, innovating and doing the unexpected. Our company is rooted in family values, a bold vision and relentless determination to continuously raise the bar and make a positive difference in consumers' lives. Founded in 1972, we’ve grown organically from a one-person import wine business into an international drinks company whose hallmarks include a portfolio of luxury wineries and iconic beverage brands, including White Claw® Hard Seltzer, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and Cayman Jack.

The Director of Manufacturing Excellence & Strategy is the enterprise steward of Manufacturing Excellence (ManEx), responsible for defining, deploying, and sustaining a standardized, world-class continuous improvement system across all manufacturing sites. This role ensures ManEx is embedded into how the business operates—linking safety, quality, service, cost, and people capability into an integrated performance system that delivers sustainable results at scale.

Accountabilities:

• Own the enterprise Manufacturing Excellence strategy, roadmap, and governance model across all manufacturing sites


• Translate business strategy into standardized operating systems, tooling, and behaviors that improve performance and capability


• Build and sustain a continuous improvement culture through leader enablement, coaching, and capability development


• Ensure ManEx drives measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Cost, Service, and Engagement


• Develop a strong pipeline of CI leaders and change agents across operations

Key Metrics & Financial Targets:

• ManEx maturity progression by site and function


• Year-over-year improvement in: OEE / productivity, Loss reduction, Cost savings / waste reduction, Safety and Quality leading indicators


• % of leaders and teams trained and certified in ManEx methodologies


• Sustainability of gains (standard work adherence, audit results)

Own:

• Enterprise ManEx framework, standards, and roadmap


• CI methodology selection and deployment (Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving)


• Capability model and certification pathways


• Standard work, loss analysis, and governance mechanisms

Influence:

• Site leadership teams on prioritization, resourcing, and adoption


• Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and People Ops on integrated improvement initiatives


• Capital planning and project prioritization tied to performance losses

Veto:

• Non-standard CI approaches that conflict with enterprise ManEx framework


• Initiatives that undermine standardization or sustainability

Critical Relationships:

• SVP Manufacturing & Site Directors / GMs and Site Leadership Teams


• Engineering & Operational Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, People Operations / L&D, External ManEx and CI partners

Skills Needed To Be Successful:

• 10+ years in manufacturing operations and/or continuous improvement leadership


• Proven experience deploying CI systems across multiple sites


• Strong Lean / Six Sigma expertise (certification preferred)


• Deep understanding of manufacturing KPIs (OEE, losses, flow, safety, quality)


• Exceptional change leadership, coaching, and facilitation skills

Compensation:

Compensation offered to prospective Team Members has taken internal equity into consideration and can vary depending on a positions’ location. The final agreed upon wage may vary based on the job-related knowledge, skills, and experience of the individual.

• Competitive annual salary of $167,000 - $209,000 in Chicago, IL


• Bonus plan designed to recognize company performance and individual contributions


• Comprehensive health and welfare benefits


• Company matching 401(k) contributions


• Paid time off including annual leave, paid sick time and holidays


• Extensive opportunities for training, development, and career growth

At Mark Anthony, we exist to Unearth the Extraordinary:

Our Purpose is not just a statement; it is a call to action that binds us together and ignites our passion for making a difference. It is the driving force behind why we do what we do every single day, connecting our global organization across all business units, roles, and locations. We are:

Best in Our Craft
We set the standard with a pursuit of excellence that can be found in everything from our products and processes to our plants and people.​

Ambitiously Curious
We stay curious, dreaming big and navigating the unknown with an enduring belief in better.​​

Made With Humility
We bring humility, authenticity, fun, and support to every collaboration and celebrate wins as a team.

Daringly Disruptive
We disrupt the status quo, moving fast to seize opportunities and acting scrappy â€‹to stay ahead of industry giants.​