Continuous Improvement / Lean Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Lead plant-level Lean transformation efforts including waste elimination, flow improvement, and productivity improvements.
• Drive deployment and maturity of Lean tools: 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, A3, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), SMED, TPM, and Daily Management Systems (DMS).
• Own the CI roadmap including priorities, timeline, resource alignment, and measurable business outcomes.
• Facilitate and lead Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops, and cross-functional problem-solving sessions.
• Coach teams on structured root cause methods including 5-Why, Fishbone, 8D, Pareto, and FMEA alignment.
• Ensure countermeasures are implemented sustainably (verified effectiveness, control plan ownership, audit cadence).
• Partner with leadership to establish and drive performance improvement in: OEE / Availability, Yield, Throughput, Scrap PPM, Cycle Time, Labor Efficiency, Downtime Reduction.
• Build and maintain weekly/monthly reporting and review cadence including action tracking, escalations, and closure discipline.
• Lead creation and deployment of standardized processes across shifts and workstations.
• Audit and sustain improvements through layered process audits (LPA), leader standard work, and sustainment plans.
• Train, coach, and develop leaders and frontline teams to build CI capability and ownership.
• Lead CI initiatives tied to equipment reliability, line balancing, changeover reduction, material flow, and defect containment.
• Partner with Engineering and Maintenance to improve uptime through TPM elements and defect prevention.
• Support new line ramp, retrofits, and operational readiness activities by ensuring Lean principles are embedded.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, Industrial Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 7+ years of experience in Manufacturing, Operations, or Continuous Improvement roles
• Demonstrated success driving measurable improvements in a high-volume manufacturing environment
• Strong working knowledge of Lean / CI methods and structured problem-solving
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority

Preferred Qualifications

• Leverage Lean certification (Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt preferred)
• Experience in advanced manufacturing (automation-heavy, high-mix or high-volume preferred)
• Experience implementing Daily Management Systems (DMS) and tiered accountability
• Experience with KPI systems (OEE, yield, throughput, cost tracking, scrap reduction)