Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Nikita Lee

Henderson,NV

Summary

Results-driven leader with strong background in strategic management and organizational growth. Skilled in developing and implementing effective business strategies, optimizing processes, and driving team performance. Known for adaptability, effective collaboration, and delivering measurable outcomes in dynamic environments. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities, coupled with focus on fostering productive and positive team culture.

Overview

20
20
years of professional experience

Work History

Director, Field Service Operations

Interblock Gaming
09.2022 - 01.2024
  • Responsible for the growth, management, direction, and coordination of Field Service activities within the US and Canada including deployment of installations, preventative maintenance, planned upgrades and repairs. Responsible for Field Service management and technicians within the US and Canada; Level 2 technical escalation program, U.S schedulers and Customer Service.
  • Report directly to the VP of Operations; responsible to deliver budgeted revenue, margin and leveraging customer reach.
  • Established positive customer service relations; promote existing and new field service initiatives, while engaging with internal resources to convey the desired company message to customers.
  • Provide corporate-level consistency and support through executive standards, coaching, mentoring, competency tracking and training.
  • Key internal leader, superb collaborator, and teammate, capable of synchronizing a multidisciplinary team to execute with high standards.
  • Hosted cross functional weekly meetings, proposal kick off meeting including scope of work, and interim reviews as required to facilitate smooth product delivery to customers and internal execution teams.

Senior Director, Production Operations and Supply Chain

Konami Gaming
11.2020 - 05.2022
  • Responsible for the overall management, direction and coordination of the Manufacturing and Supply Chain
  • Departments, including Production Control, Purchasing, Production Operations, Production Engineering, Logistics and Warehousing. Responsible for overseeing all areas of the manufacturing operations and communicating challenges and accomplishments to executive management; ensuring fiscal year budgetary goals are realized or exceeded.
  • Direct management of staff consisting of a Production Control Manager, Purchasing Manager, Logistics Manager, Warehouse Manager, Production Supervisors as well as Production Engineers
  • Through process and process improvements, work to reduce individual component cost as well as overall cost to produce.
  • Collaborate with the Purchasing department to control costs, develop supplier relationships and encourage diversity of the supply chain.
  • Facilitate regular staff meetings and individual one on one meetings with all team members to ensure we are aligned with company goals and objectives.
  • Accountable for product costs, organizational effectiveness and maximizing productivity to drive continuous improvement.
  • Serve as a change agent: drive ideas and innovation; challenge the status quo; embrace technology; put forward creative ideas as well as champion and implement process improvements.
  • Prepare production and warehouse operating budgets; responsible to implement and control approved budgets.
  • Oversight of all warehouse functions within Konami, valued at approximately 32 million, and ensure successful annual audit with Price Waterhouse.
  • Utilizes lean methods to change production levels and staffing on product lines to minimize inventory levels and react to changing customer demands.
  • Manage pre-production activities: the selection and design of equipment; the plant layout, materials handling; and production planning (including production scheduling staffing, and maintenance.
  • Ensure that all products are manufactured according to Quality standards and specifications through daily review. Conducts routine audits of the production systems to include facility, equipment, procedures, and personnel to identify opportunities for quality, safety and productivity improvements.
  • With the production engineers manage the creation of assembly procedures, training, and assessment of assembly employees to ensure quality, testing, documentation, and production is efficient and meets or exceeds quality standards. Improve or add training programs or restructure the production process to improve quality.

Director, Production Operations

Konami Gaming
10.2019 - 11.2020
  • Responsible for overseeing production manufacturing and warehouse operations within the facility.
  • Production: Responsible for the overall management, direction, and coordination of the Production Department in support of effective and economical manufacturing, schedules, quality, safety standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Warehouse: Manage operational efficiencies in the RAW warehouse, valued at $20 million, as they relate to order fulfillment, material handling, cost reduction and maintenance of inventory accuracy.
  • Manage staff consisting of Production engineers, Production Supervisors, Vendor Quality Specialist, Production Leads as well as 75-90 hourly employees. Manage the assembly of multiple electronic gaming machine platforms on separate production lines, peripheral sub-assemblies and systems according to determined production schedules and within established quality standards.
  • Manage the production stage: production control; stock control; quality control and the maintenance and replacement of production equipment.
  • Ensures education of line leaders to focus on their core tasks, teaching industrial engineering techniques, lean manufacturing and other programs.
  • Direct and coordinate the activities of employees through the development of valid performance plans to ensure timely manufacture of products consistent with objectives.

Sr. Production Manager

Konami Gaming
04.2014 - 01.2019
  • Coordinated production schedules across multiple facilities to maximize capacity utilization while minimizing lead times for customers.
  • Monitored and supported progress of plant production orders by managing shop capacity and loading functions at several facilities.
  • Evaluated new technologies and equipment upgrades to determine potential benefits for the company's production capabilities.
  • Championed continuous improvement initiatives that contributed to enhanced efficiency levels over time.
  • Improved production efficiency by optimizing processes and implementing lean manufacturing techniques.
  • Investigated and implemented ideas for quality improvement, increased productivity, and cost reduction.

Production Manager

Nestle Inc.
04.2012 - 04.2014
  • Manage Operations Departments including production and sanitation across three shifts for the Tribe branded business.
  • Direct reports include 3 production supervisors, 1 sanitation supervisor, 3 foreman and a production clerk.
  • As the manufacturing manager, ensured departments within my organization reached production goals within budget and with the highest level of quality by utilizing the resources within the manufacturing plant to meet company objectives.
  • Assures organizational objectives are obtained consistently, while meeting company and customer expectations. Utilize capital and non-capital projects to drive continuous improvement.
  • Leading and developing work teams to effectively meet the changing needs of the business, coach and mentor to increase individual and production team skill set.
  • Provide overall direction of plant operations including processing, packaging, and line maintenance to effectively deliver results in the areas of safety, cost, service, quality, compliance and morale.
  • Direct, coordinate and visually monitor performance of production supervisors to ensure maximum production at lowest cost consistent with established quality and quantity specifications.
  • Make appropriate recommendations concerning policies, procedures, techniques, facilities, production planning and any other matter relative to the effective operation of production department or overall organization as well as align with company objectives.
  • Support the development, implementation, maintenance, and ongoing improvement of the food safety related systems.
  • Achieve results through teamwork. Encourage ideas and suggestions in department workflow, methods, word standards and crew sizes. Interfaced with Engineering and Continuous Improvement Managers in the development of these programs to insure successful implementation. Successful implementation of the employee
  • Driven Productivity Mining initiative at Tribe, designed to generate non-capital related ideas for productivity.

Business Unit Manager

Kraft Foods
10.2007 - 03.2012
  • Direct reports include Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Business Unit Leader, 3 Front Line Supervisors, 2 Continuous Improvement Engineers and 200+ hourly employees. Report directly to the Plant Manager. Dotted line reporting structure additionally includes a Production Scheduler, Financial Analyst and Quality Supervisor.
  • Provide leadership and guidance to Production work groups ensuring all activities adhere to Kraft company policies, procedures, and philosophies in the attainment of process improvements and reduction of cost, while maintaining superior quality, customer focus and exemplary safety record.
  • Managed capital projects of $4-8mm, including project timelines and implementation within budget.
  • Use of the lowest landed cost model to identify $1mm in transportation savings gained to the Corporate Oscar Mayer Business Unit by moving volumes to Avon.
  • Project RELO: Successful implementation of a new line to the Avon facility, resulting in increased OB volume of 9mm lbs.
  • Use of statistical data and micro testing to gain Corporate Quality approval for the use of extended runs in the Avon facility, elimination of “dedicated sanitation crew”, resulting in 22% increase in line availability, 24% reduction in 3rd shift headcount and 5% increase in overall efficiency.
  • Successful restructuring of the Avon work schedule, resulting in increased line availability, headcount reduction; 30% reduction in overtime hours; overall savings of $420K annually
  • Encourage ideas and suggestions in department workflow, methods, word standards and crew sizes. Interfaced with Engineering and Continuous Improvement Managers in the development of these programs to insure successful implementation. Successful implementation of the Employee Driven
  • Productivity mining initiative in Avon, designed to generate non-capital related ideas for productivity. With guidance, employees have taken ownership and implemented over 300 ideas resulting in $320m savings since 2008.
  • Preventative maintenance restructuring resulting in increased completion of planned work from 68% to 87%.
  • Achieved 8% reduction in controllable costs in 2009, subsequently set 2010 goal of 10% reduction in controllable costs for Avon Lunchables.
  • Implemented return to Back- to-Basics approach to manufacturing in Avon, continuing focus in the areas of OEE, yields, reliability, PPPH (pounds per person) and process control.
  • Dotted line reporting structure to Oscar Mayer Director of Operations. Served as his Network Ops Lead working with Logistics, Quality and Marketing staff to ensure customer needs were being met, supply operational input and facilitate ongoing communication with Corporate Sectors.
  • Key Safety/Quality Accomplishments
  • 28% reduction in consumer complaints and Right the First Time of 99.64%
  • Zero “special situations”
  • 3 % reduction in TIR (Total Incident Rate)
  • Reduction in workers comp cost from $144m to $52m

Training Manager

Kraft Foods
10.2006 - 10.2007
  • Develop organizational effectiveness process and facilitate continuous improvement of procedures to meet or exceed internal and external demands to include e-Technical training, operator certification process and developmental plans for hourly and salaried employees, department leads and process specialists.
  • Maintained technical training and operator certification program including course development, established training curriculum for all jobs, development training and database maintenance for tracking results.
  • Developed hands on training for the plant at all job classifications, responsible for managing to a training budget, improved current job skill management process for certification training.
  • Monitor and improve process of new employee training.
  • Develop designated trainers in all departments to coordinate, implement and perpetuate technical instructional materials.
  • Serve as a resource to facility members for coordination of training, incident prevention, audits and material creation for facility programs.
  • Maintain “audit readiness.”
  • Developed and implemented comprehensive training program to increase employee productivity and morale.
  • Monitored and evaluated training performance to determine quality and cohesiveness.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Engineering Technology

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

Skills

  • Cultivating strong partnerships
  • Strategic planning
  • Clear and concise communication
  • Strategic decision-making
  • Team development
  • Project management
  • Operations management
  • Staff development
  • Creative problem-solving

Timeline

Director, Field Service Operations

Interblock Gaming
09.2022 - 01.2024

Senior Director, Production Operations and Supply Chain

Konami Gaming
11.2020 - 05.2022

Director, Production Operations

Konami Gaming
10.2019 - 11.2020

Sr. Production Manager

Konami Gaming
04.2014 - 01.2019

Production Manager

Nestle Inc.
04.2012 - 04.2014

Business Unit Manager

Kraft Foods
10.2007 - 03.2012

Training Manager

Kraft Foods
10.2006 - 10.2007

Bachelor of Science - Engineering Technology

Texas A&M University

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Nikita Lee