PhD with 4+ years of experience OR Master's with 6+ years OR Bachelor's with 8+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, Lean, continuous improvement, or a related field.
Experience in leading Lean operating systems and continuous improvement methodologies in manufacturing environments.
Proficient in facilitating Kaizen events and implementing Daily Management systems.
Ability to coach and influence leaders across all organizational levels.
Experience in executing cross-functional improvement initiatives related to safety, quality, and cost.
Strong analytical skills with a focus on operational performance metrics.
Demonstrated success in change management and aligning teams for operational alignment.
Responsibilities
Lead the execution and sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives across various functions.
Coach leaders and teams on improvement methodologies like Kaizen and structured problem-solving.
Partner with leadership teams to identify performance gaps and prioritize improvement opportunities.
Facilitate sessions for value stream mapping and root cause analysis to enhance operational performance.
Implement and coach Daily Management systems focusing on KPI management and visual performance tracking.
Mentor leaders to enhance Lean leadership capabilities and operational discipline.
Analyze performance metrics to identify constraints and drive business results.
Benefits
Opportunity to lead impactful continuous improvement initiatives.
Collaborative environment to engage with cross-functional teams.
Access to professional development and coaching.
A culture that promotes employee engagement and operational excellence.
Full Job Description
Continuous Improvement Manager
Indianapolis, IN, United States | req28953
What you will enjoy doing*
In this role, you will lead and drive the deployment, execution, and sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing and support functions to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement
And you will coach and develop leaders and frontline teams on continuous improvement methodologies, including Daily Management, Gemba walks, Kaizen, standard work, visual management, structured problem-solving, and accountability processes
You will partner with operations, engineering, quality, maintenance, and supply chain leadership teams to identify performance gaps, prioritize improvement opportunities, and align continuous improvement initiatives with strategic business objectives and Hoshin Kanri priorities
You will facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping sessions, root cause analysis activities, and breakthrough improvement initiatives focused on driving sustainable operational performance improvements
You will lead the implementation and coaching of Daily Management systems, including KPI management, action planning, tiered accountability meetings, visual performance tracking, and escalation processes
Moreover, you will mentor and influence leaders at all levels of the organization to strengthen Lean leadership behaviors, reinforce operational discipline, and build long-term organizational capability
You will analyze operational performance metrics including OEE, throughput, labor utilization, downtime, scrap, productivity, and capacity trends to identify constraints, eliminate waste, and drive measurable business results
You will act as a change agent by promoting a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, and respect for people throughout the organization
Also, you will support the rapid deployment of best practices, operational excellence initiatives, and continuous improvement standards across multiple business areas and functions
You will perform other tasks, projects, and continuous improvement initiatives as assigned based on business needs.
What makes you great
You have a PhD with more than four (4+) years of related experience OR Master's degree (MS/MA/MBA) with 6+ years of related experience OR Bachelor's degree (BS/BA) with 8+ years of related experience OR 14+ years of directly related experience in manufacturing, operations, Lean, continuous improvement, or operational excellence environments
Demonstrated experience leading and deploying Lean operating systems, continuous improvement methodologies, operational excellence programs, or similar enterprise continuous improvement frameworks within manufacturing or industrial environments
Strong experience facilitating Kaizen events, Daily Management implementation, value stream mapping, Gemba walks, Hoshin Kanri deployment, and structured problem-solving initiatives that drive measurable operational improvements
Proven ability to coach, influence, and develop leaders and teams at all organizational levels while driving accountability, operational discipline, and sustainable Lean behaviors within a matrixed organization
Experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives focused on improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience utilizing operational performance metrics including OEE, throughput, labor productivity, downtime, scrap, capacity, and cost metrics to drive business decisions and operational improvements
You have demonstrated ability to drive change management initiatives, influence without direct authority, and build alignment across operations, engineering, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and leadership teams
Foundational understanding of Lean Production System principles, including respect for people, continuous improvement (Kaizen), waste identification (Muda), and basic problem-solving, with the ability to apply these concepts to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost within one's role
And you can demonstrate leadership behaviors including humility, transparency, accountability, agility, strategic thinking, collaboration, strong communication skills, continuous learning, and the ability to challenge existing processes to drive sustainable results
