Continuous Improvement ManagerPosition SummaryThe Continuous Improvement Manager will lead operational excellence initiatives with a focus on improving efficiency, reducing waste, and driving sustainable growth within the manufacturing power sector. This role requires a proven leader with deep expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma methodologies, and process improvement strategies, and hands-on experience leading successful continuous improvement projects in complex manufacturing environments. Working within the enterprise continuous improvement strategy set by the VP of Production Planning & Continuous Improvement, the CI Manager owns deployment and results on the ground: the daily management system, the improvement project pipeline, frontline capability building, and the cultural change that makes improvement how the operation runs.
Reports To: VP, Production Planning and Continuous Improvement
Work Location: 2001 Proenergy Blvd, Sedalia, MO 65301
Position Responsibilities- Deploy and manage the organization's continuous improvement program in alignment with the enterprise CI strategy and overall business objectives - owning execution, sustainment, and results at the site and value-stream level.
- Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and other process improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, productivity, and cost-efficiency - chartering, facilitating, and closing high-impact projects with disciplined action-item closure and sustainment audits.
- Oversee the analysis, optimization, and standardization of manufacturing, services, and supply chain processes - partnering with production planning and process owners to document standard work and stabilize core processes before they are encoded into D365 workflows, so waste and variation are eliminated rather than digitized.
- Support the D365 / ERP implementation from the process side: lead value stream mapping and process design ahead of configuration, drive post-go-live stabilization kaizen targeting transaction discipline, data accuracy, and process adherence, and help convert daily management boards and CI metrics from manual tracking to system-fed data without losing floor ownership.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, quality, and maintenance teams to identify process bottlenecks and implement sustainable solutions.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress and ensure continuous improvement goals are met - including validated hard savings, cycle-time and work-in-process reduction, scrap/rework reduction, and schedule-adherence support.
- Run the daily management system: coach supervisors and managers through tiered accountability meetings, leader standard work, and visual management - holding the standard when delivery pressure pushes against it.
- Mentor and train the organization on continuous improvement tools, problem-solving methodologies, and best practices - developing internal facilitators so improvement capacity scales beyond this role.
- Drive cultural change to foster a mindset of continuous learning and innovation, engaging employees from the shop floor to the executive level.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for recurring issues in production and operations, applying structured problem-solving (A3, 5-Why, 8D, PDCA) with verified, permanent countermeasures.
- Manage resource allocation for improvement projects, building ROI cases and ensuring maximum return on investment; stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies to maintain competitive advantage.
- Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies to maintain competitive advantage in the power generation manufacturing sector.
Required Qualifications- Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field.
- Experience: Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership role driving continuous improvement initiatives.
- Industry Expertise: Direct experience in manufacturing precision parts and assemblies, with hands-on knowledge of shop floor implementation.
- Operational excellence: Strong understanding VSM, Kaizen, TPM, daily management systems, and other process improvement frameworks -- practitioner depth, not program administration.
- Change leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and engage employees at all levels, with a proven track record of measurable results in operational efficiency.
- Skills: Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills; exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management abilities.
- US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work authorized visa.
- Successful candidates will need to satisfactorily complete pre-employment drug screen and background check.
Preferred Qualifications- Certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt; direct Toyota Production System and/or Shingijutsu lineage (sensei-led kaizen training) highly valued.
- Advanced degree: Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
- Industry leadership: Proven success leading continuous improvement in power generation, aerospace, or gas turbine manufacturing environments with complex, high-value equipment.
- Technology integration: Experience supporting an ERP implementation or migration from the process side - process standardization, data readiness, user acceptance testing, or change management - with Microsoft Dynamics 365 a plus; experience integrating digital manufacturing tools (MES, real-time KPI dashboards, predictive analytics) into CI programs.
- Change management expertise: Demonstrated ability to lead cultural transformation across multi-site operations.
- Innovation Track Record: Evidence of introducing new methodologies, technologies, or processes that have delivered measurable gains in safety, quality, throughput, and cost efficiency
- Financial acumen: Strong capability building ROI models for CI projects, managing budgets, and aligning process improvements with corporate financial goals.
- Regulatory compliance: Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, OSHA, and other regulatory and quality standards applicable to precision manufacturing.
