JobsRegal Rexnord

Senior Manager, Operations Programs

Regal Rexnord · Downers Grove, IL

Posted Aug 26, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a program you led that touched several manufacturing sites and several functions at once. How did you get everyone moving in the same direction?

whether the candidate can actually orchestrate a multi-site, multi-function program rather than just manage a single-site project

Tell me about a time you had to influence a plant manager or functional leader who did not report to you and did not want to do what you were asking. What did you do?

influence-without-authority skill in a matrix organization, which this role depends on heavily

Give me an example of an ERP implementation or major systems rollout you were part of. What was your role, and what went wrong that you had to fix mid-stream?

depth of hands-on ERP change management experience versus surface familiarity

Tell me about a facility or footprint decision you were involved in, maybe a lease, a product line move, or a plant consolidation. What tradeoffs did you weigh?

exposure to real facility and footprint strategy work, which is a named but less common responsibility here

Describe a Kaizen or 5S event you ran or participated in that actually changed how a line or process worked. What was the before and after?

genuine hands-on continuous improvement experience versus checkbox familiarity with RBS or lean tools

Tell me about a time your data or feasibility analysis led you to recommend something leadership didn't want to hear. How did you present it?

ability to translate complex analysis into clear recommendations and hold ground under pushback

This role is up to 50 percent travel and covers sites likely across different countries. Tell me about a time you managed a program across cultures or time zones and what you had to adjust.

actual international, cross-cultural program experience given the global scope described

Technical

Describe how you have built or run a productivity savings pipeline before. How did you track it, and how did you handle sites that fell behind on their number?

real experience with productivity plan governance and escalation, not just familiarity with the concept

How would you apply the 80/20 principle to decide which automation opportunities are worth a business case and which aren't?

whether the candidate can actually prioritize using 80/20 thinking rather than just naming it as a buzzword

Walk me through how you would set up governance for a new operations program from scratch, meaning the dashboards, the risk register, the escalation path, the whole routine.

whether they can build structured program governance rather than relying on ad hoc tracking

How do you decide what belongs in an executive update versus what stays at the working level, when you're reporting program status to senior leadership?

judgment on executive communication and reporting discipline for senior stakeholders

Situational

Say you are managing a CapEx request that a site really wants but Finance is pushing back on because the payback period is weak. How do you handle that conversation and what do you do next?

ability to navigate capital planning tension between operational need and financial discipline

Suppose you're running SCOFOR execution across LMD plants and one site's project managers, who report to a different functional leader, are missing milestones. What's your move?

how the candidate handles accountability gaps when they don't have direct authority over the people doing the work

If a Plant Manager suddenly needed to be out for an extended period and you were asked to step in temporarily, how would you approach that first week?

readiness to fill an interim operations leadership gap, which the posting explicitly calls out

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The full job description

As published by Regal Rexnord.

Work Model: This role can be performed remotely from an approved location, with flexibility based on business needs and applicable requirements. ____________________ Position Summary The Senior Manager, Operations Programs leads cross-functional operational programs that improve manufacturing performance, execution discipline, and business growth across the Linear Motion Division (LMD). The role partners with manufacturing sites and leaders in Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Product Management, Corporate Real Estate, Advanced Manufacturing, and Commercial teams to form and convert strategy into executable plans, milestones, metrics, and sustained results. Key Responsibilities • Lead LMD operations programs covering safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, productivity, capacity, customer performance, facility optimization, automation, and growth. • Manage CapEx planning, budgeting, allocation, approvals, justification, execution, and tracking with sites and functions including Finance, Engineering, Product Management, and Operations. • Manage facility lease programs with Corporate Real Estate, aligning operational needs, footprint strategy, and financial commitments. • Translate LMD strategy, economic trends, and market expectations into plans for product placement optimization, supply chain rationalization, operational scalability, and SCOFOR execution. • Lead SCOFOR execution directly or through project managers reporting to other functional leaders. • Serve as LMD liaison to AMC’s Advanced Manufacturing group on technology roadmaps, automation opportunities, and manufacturing capability development. • Develop a standardized LMD Operations project management framework to drive savings, product line moves, new product startups, capacity projects, and cross-site execution discipline. • Own and facilitate annual productivity plan development, savings pipeline tracking, reporting, and escalation of execution gaps. • Develop technology benchmark and feasibility studies with RRX operating units and LMD plants. • Apply the 80/20 principle to identify automation opportunities and partner with site manufacturing leaders on business cases, plans, and implementation. • Participate in RBS activities including Kaizens, 5S, product line simplification, Visual Daily Management, and other continuous improvement initiatives. • Lead or support ERP implementation projects, including stakeholder alignment, milestones, risks, readiness, and change management. • Support capacity planning, footprint optimization, NPI readiness, make-versus-buy analysis, and operational scalability. • Establish governance routines, action tracking, escalation processes, risk registers, dashboards, and senior leadership updates. • Occasionally provide interim support for Plant Managers or Operations Managers as needed. • Coach and influence project leaders, functional managers, and site teams to strengthen execution capability. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred. • 8+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, program management, supply chain, engineering, operational excellence, or capital project execution. • 3+ years leading cross-functional programs, teams, or transformation initiatives in a matrix organization. • Proven ability to manage complex, multi-site programs with multiple functions, stakeholders, and priorities. • Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, capital planning, production planning, quality systems, supply chain, facility planning, automation, and financial performance drivers. • Experience with Lean, RBS or similar CI systems, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, 5S, Kaizen, Visual Daily Management, and standard work. • Experience developing business cases, program justifications, productivity plans, savings roadmaps, and executive-level reporting. • Familiarity with ERP implementation, manufacturing systems, project management tools, business intelligence, and operational dashboards preferred. • Strong analytical, verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate data and complex issues into clear recommendations. • International experience and ability to work across cultures, geographies, and global manufacturing environments. • Able and willing to travel up to 50% domestically and internationally. • Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to access and handle ITAR and other government-controlled data, where required. • PMP, Lean Six Sigma, APICS, or similar certification preferred. Leadership Competencies • Strategic execution: Converts LMD strategy, economic trends, and business priorities into measurable operational results. • Operational discipline: Builds accountability and consistency into program execution, capital planning, productivity tracking, and cross-site governance. • Influence without authority: Aligns functions, sites, corporate groups, and operating units in a matrix organization. • Problem solving: Uses data, benchmarks, feasibility analysis, and root cause thinking to resolve operational challenges. • Change leadership: Leads transformation, product line moves, startups, ERP implementation, automation, and CI initiatives. • Business acumen: Understands impacts to revenue, margin, cash flow, capital allocation, productivity, customer satisfaction, and growth. Key Performance Indicators • On-time completion of operations programs, capital projects, facility initiatives, and milestones. • Improvement in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory, cost, capacity, and customer performance. • Achievement of capital project objectives, productivity savings, and financial benefits tied to business cases. • Effective annual productivity plan development, execution, and tracking. • Progress on product placement optimization, supply chain rationalization, automation, and footprint initiatives. • Reduction in program risks, delays, escalations, and execution gaps. • Improved standardization of program management routines, reporting, governance, and accountability across LMD Operations. • Stakeholder satisfaction and adoption of implemented operational improvements. Reporting Relationship This role will reports to the Senior Director of Operations and works closely with LMD sites, functional leaders, Corporate Real Estate, Advanced Manufacturing, Finance, Engineering, Product Management, and executive stakeholders. Restrictions imposed by federal export control laws may limit this job opportunity to candidates who are a "U.S. Person,' which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, individuals granted asylum in the United States, and refugees in the United States. Expected salary: $140,000 - $160,000 annually. The salary range provided is intended to display the value of the company's base pay compensation for all statewide locations across the United States. Salary is dependent on a multitude of factors, including but not limited to the physical worksite location, candidate's skill set, level of experience, education, and internal peer compensation comparisons. Benefits • Medical, Dental, Vision and Prescription Drug Coverage • Spending accounts (HSA, Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA) • Paid Time Off and Holidays • 401k Retirement Plan with Matching Employer Contributions • Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance • Paid Leaves • Tuition Assistance About Regal Rexnord Regal Rexnord is a publicly held global industrial manufacturer with 30,000 associates around the world who help create a better tomorrow by providing sustainable solutions that power, transmit and control motion. The Company’s electric motors and air moving subsystems provide the power to create motion. A portfolio of highly engineered power transmission components and subsystems efficiently transmits motion to power industrial applications. The Company’s automation offering, comprised of controls, actuators, drives, and precision motors, controls motion in applications ranging from factory automation to precision control in surgical tools. The Company’s end markets benefit from meaningful secular demand tailwinds, and include factory automation, food & beverage, aerospace, medical, data center, warehouse, alternative energy, residential and commercial buildings, general industrial, construction, metals and mining, and agriculture. Regal Rexnord is comprised of three operating segments: Industrial Powertrain Solutions, Power Efficiency Solutions, and Automation & Motion Control. Regal Rexnord has offices and manufacturing, sales and service facilities worldwide. For more information, including a copy of our Sustainability Report, visit RegalRexnord.com. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Regal Rexnord is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, ancestry, national origin, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status (unless required by the applicable law or government contract), disability or protected veteran status or any other status or characteristic protected by law. Regal Rexnord is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are committed to building a team that represents diverse and inclusive backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.  If you’d like to view a copy of the company’s affirmative action plan for protected veterans/individuals with disabilities or policy statement, please email Recruiting@RegalRexnord.com. If you have a disability and you believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please e-mail Recruiting@RegalRexnord.com. Equal Employment Opportunity Posters Notification to Agencies : Please note that Regal Rexnord Corporation and its affiliates and subsidiaries ("Regal Rexnord") do not accept unsolicited resumes or calls from third-party recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Master Service Agreement or similar contract and approval from HR to submit resumes for a specific requisition, Regal Rexnord will not consider or approve payment to any third-parties for hires made.

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