The Director of Manufacturing Continuous Improvement is responsible for the leadership of the company's manufacturing continuous improvement (CI) processes and governance.  This role provides the leadership in the development and deployment of the company’s lean production operating system (Primient Operating Model – POM).   The successful candidate will possess experience in leading Lean initiatives in a manufacturing environment, an intuitive understanding of organizational change management, and a vision of how people, tools, and process come together to eliminate waste and drive continuous improvement.  Experience in digital transformation/industry 4.0 technologies would be ideal.  The role oversees 6 direct reports who are embedded Six Sigma Black Belts in our manufacturing plants.   The position can be based out of our North American headquarters in Schaumburg IL, or one of our key manufacturing locations: Decatur IL, Lafayette IN, or Loudon TN.  Monthly travel to our manufacturing locations is a role expectation. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop and deploy the company’s Continuous Improvement operating system (POM) 

• Develop the governance structure that evaluates, measures and tracks CI initiatives by assessing company’s adherence and maturity with the POM at each location and develop plans with plant leaders for annual incremental improvements. 

• With plant leadership teams develop pipeline of continuous improvement projects that add value to their bottom lines in order to offset annual fixed cost increases. 

• Define the roadmap for the deployment of key Lean tools: 5S, Visual Management, Value Stream Mapping, OEE, Kaizen, etc. 

• Provide leadership, training, and oversight to the company’s CI practitioners. 

• Support the culture of Operational Excellence. 

• Support the creation of a culture of employee ownership and idea generation. 

• Align the CI process with the end-to-end planning process to support the identification and elimination of constraints 

• Measure and communicate CI metrics to the organization and senior leadership. 

• Own the continuous improvement agenda — establishing strong personal relationships with leaders across the organization. 

• Lead efforts to share and educate business leaders on industry best practices. 

• Implement talent development, engagement, and succession routines. 

• Set the tone for the continuous improvement team, serving as a role model for the company’s values and mission. 

Competencies, Skills and Traits 

The ideal candidate demonstrates the following traits: 

• Passion for the transformative potential of continuous improvement 

• Strong financial acumen and the ability to justify, baseline and report projects 

• Relentlessly focuses on customers 

• Challenges the status quo 

• Works well under pressure 

• Drives for results 

The ideal candidate has the following competencies and skills: 

Soft Skills: 

• Communication skills, including verbal, written and presentation 

• Interpersonal skills, including relationship-building and persuasion 

• Analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills 

• Demonstrated success in cultural change management 

• Ability to inspire and coach team members 

Hard Skills: 

• Proficiency/knowledge in statistical, simulation, and analytical methods and software (PowerBI, Tableau, Minitab SPM, OSI Pi) 

• Proficiency in Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies 

• Experience in manufacturing with a preference for continuous production experience 

• Experience in Lean Production Systems deployment and change management 

• Understanding of financial and business planning 

• Understanding of cost, profitability, and cash flow on a strategic level 

Experience 

This role requires a minimum of 7-10 year’s experience in Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement roles in a manufacturing environment and 5+ years supervisory/managerial experience.  Certified MBB experience is highly desired. 

Education 

This role requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering, STEM, supply chain, business administration, finance, or a related field.  An MBA or master’s degree in a related field is preferred.