Reliability & Continuous Improvement Manager

Actalent is seeking a Process, Reliability & Continuous Improvement Manager to lead site-wide initiatives that improve manufacturing performance, reliability, and operational excellence in Blythewood, SC.

About the role

This role focuses on reducing waste, increasing productivity, enhancing equipment uptime, and embedding a continuous improvement culture across the plant. You will partner closely with Maintenance, Engineering, and operations teams to design and implement robust processes, drive sustainable improvements, and ensure that reliability, maintainability, and quality are built into daily operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing processes to reduce waste, improve flow, and increase productivity.
• Drive process reliability by identifying sources of variation, chronic losses, bottlenecks, and recurring failures, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering teams to improve equipment uptime, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and asset lifecycle performance.
• Develop and implement reliability strategies, including autonomous maintenance (AM), preventive maintenance (PM), predictive maintenance, root cause failure analysis, and critical spare parts planning for the plant’s critical assets.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving using methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, A3, 5 Whys, FMEA, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
• Standardize operating procedures, center lining, control plans, and visual management to improve process consistency and repeatability.
• Use operational data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify improvement opportunities, prioritize projects, track benefits realization, and drive sustained performance.
• Lead cross-functional project teams and workshops focused on safety, quality, service, cost, and capability improvement.
• Build and promote a culture of a zero-loss mindset, emphasizing control of controllable factors and proactive problem prevention.
• Support capital projects, new equipment start-ups, and process changes to ensure reliability, maintainability, and operational readiness are fully implemented and integrated into daily operations.
• Coach managers, supervisors, and frontline teams in continuous improvement tools and behaviors to build site capability and drive engagement.
• Ensure all improvement activities align with health, safety, security, environment (HSSE), quality, service, and compliance requirements.
• Prepare regular updates for leadership on project pipeline, risks, resourcing, progress, savings, and operational impact.

Requirements

• Considerable experience in manufacturing, process engineering, reliability, maintenance, or continuous improvement roles in a plant or industrial environment.
• Proven track record of leading operational improvement projects and delivering measurable results in manufacturing settings.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, root cause analysis, and reliability engineering principles.
• Experience working with production metrics such as OEE, downtime, scrap, yield, changeover, and maintenance performance.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and convert insights into practical actions with clear, measurable outcomes.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, prioritization, and execution of multiple improvement initiatives.
• Effective facilitation skills for workshops and problem-solving sessions with cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influencing skills across functions and levels of the organization.
• Experience coaching teams and leading change to embed continuous improvement behaviors.
• Proficiency in Excel and reporting tools for data analysis and performance tracking.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related technical discipline.
• Familiarity with CMMS, ERP, or manufacturing data systems to support reliability and maintenance planning.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (e.g., Green Belt, Black Belt) or reliability-related certification is preferred.
• Understanding of operational excellence, manufacturing engineering, and process improvement methodologies.
• Experience in Lean manufacturing, Kaizen events, and continuous improvement frameworks.
• Ability to standardize and document processes, procedures, and visual management tools.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when tracking project benefits, savings, and operational impact.

Work Environment

This role operates in a dynamic manufacturing and industrial environment, working closely with production, maintenance, and engineering teams on the shop floor and in office settings. You will regularly engage with operational data, KPIs, and reporting tools, and may use systems such as CMMS, ERP, and manufacturing data platforms to support reliability and continuous improvement activities. The work involves leading workshops, facilitating cross-functional collaboration, and supporting equipment start-ups and process changes within a plant environment. Standard professional attire is expected in office areas, with appropriate safety and protective equipment required in production areas in line with site HSSE and compliance standards.

Schedule

This is a permanent, fully onsite position based in Blythewood, SC.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $125,000 - $140,000 per year.

Benefits

• Paid time off (PTO)
• Holiday pay
• Health insurance