Continuous Improvement Manager
Purpose of Position
The Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives at the Plover facility. This position drives operational excellence through the implementation of lean manufacturing tools, waste reduction strategies, productivity improvements, and employee development.
Accountabilities
Lead implementation and sustainment of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the Plover facility.
Drive plant-wide efforts focused on safety, quality, productivity, waste reduction, labor efficiency, downtime reduction, and cost savings.
Facilitate Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and cross-functional problem-solving activities to improve operational performance.
Support development and implementation of lean tools including 5S, Standard Work, Visual Controls, Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Pull Systems, SMED, TPM, and Autonomous Maintenance.
Develop standard operating procedures, work instructions, visual management tools, and best practices to support sustainable improvements.
Care for continuous improvement projects from concept through implementation and follow-up.
Monitor progress of improvement projects and provide regular updates to plant leadership regarding results, barriers, and next steps.
Facilitate best practice sharing across departments and help standardize successful processes throughout the facility.
Serve as a key resource for change management initiatives and help employees understand the purpose, expectations, and benefits of improvement efforts.
Operational Analysis and Project Support
Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, Warehouse, and HR teams to identify process gaps and improvement opportunities.
Develop, track, and communicate key performance indicators related to OEE, downtime, throughput, labor utilization, waste, scrap, and cost savings.
Analyze plant performance data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for sustainable improvement.
Assist plant leadership in prioritizing projects and aligning improvement efforts with plant and company goals.
Support additional plant projects, business initiatives, and operational priorities as assigned.
Training and Employee Development
Provide training, coaching, and development to supervisors, engineers, maintenance employees, and hourly employees on lean principles, continuous improvement tools, and problem-solving methods.
Build continuous improvement capability within the plant by helping leaders and employees understand and apply lean concepts in their daily work.
Support employee engagement by encouraging ownership, accountability, and involvement in improvement activities.
Reinforce plant-wide understanding of continuous improvement expectations, standard work, and operational discipline.