Continuous Improvement Manager

Winchester Interconnect

$140K — $190K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field
  • 7+ years of experience in continuous improvement or operational excellence, with 2+ years in a managerial role
  • Experience in automotive, aerospace, or high-reliability manufacturing preferred
  • Lean certification required; Lean Practitioner certification or equivalent preferred
  • Proficiency in leading CI methodologies like Kaizen, VSM, and 5S

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive Continuous Improvement roadmap
  • Partner with site General Managers to prioritize and resource initiatives
  • Manage CI project pipelines for consistent execution and governance
  • Lead Kaizen events and rapid improvement workshops using Lean tools
  • Conduct root cause analysis to address systemic issues

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work in a hands-on, dynamic manufacturing environment
  • Culture emphasizing accountability, collaboration, and empowerment
  • Support for continuous professional development and training
  • Involvement in strategic initiatives that drive business growth
  • Immediate impact on operational excellence and sustainability efforts
Full Job Description
Position Summary: As a Continuous Improvement Manager, you will serve as the strategic leader and driving force behind operational excellence across multiple business units. You will own, lead, and execute the full Continuous Improvement (CI) Deployment plan across multiple of our high-mix, low-volume sites, enabling them to achieve targets across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and efficiency.

In this managerial role, you will build and nurture a CI culture from the floor to the leadership team. You will directly manage CI project pipelines, lead cross-functional improvement events, develop internal CI capabilities through coaching and training, and align improvement strategy with the Company's broader business objectives.

You will leverage advanced Lean tools, data-driven analysis, and strong change management skills to eliminate waste, optimize workflows, and deliver sustainable results. Working in close partnership with Site General Managers.

This position reports to the Director of Continuous Improvement, contributing directly to strategic growth, competitive positioning, and customer satisfaction. The right candidate will spend 75% of their time on the manufacturing floor problem solving, coaching, highlighting and eliminating process wastes.

Qualifications & Requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering , Operations Management, or related technical discipline
  • 7+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, or manufacturing engineering roles, with at least 2 years in a CI managerial or team lead capacity
  • Automotive, Aerospace, defense, or high-reliability manufacturing (medical device, space) experience strongly preferred
  • Experience in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing operations is a plus
  • Lean certification required; Lean Practitioner certification or equivalent strongly preferred
  • Demonstrated success in Lean transformation at multiple sites
  • Hands-on experience deploying Daily Tiered Accountability, Leader Standard Work and Process Confirmation
  • Proven experience leading Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, Pull Systems, and cellular manufacturing implementations
  • Highly competent in leading teams in problem solving and mistake proofing
  • Proficiency with data analysis using Microsoft Excel
  • Hands-on experience with material replenishment and flow
  • Strong program and project management skills; ability to manage and prioritize a portfolio of concurrent improvement initiatives
  • Demonstrated ability to influence, motivate, and lead without direct authority across all levels of the organization
  • Excellent communication and executive presentation skills
  • Proven track record of building CI capability through training, coaching, and mentoring employees at all levels
  • Change management experience with the ability to drive cultural transformation in a manufacturing setting
  • Self-directed and results-oriented, with a strong bias for action and accountability
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) to comply with ITAR regulations


Our core values - Accountability, Collaboration, and Empowerment(ACE) - are the foundation of how we operate and drive success. You will take ownership of your contributions, collaborate with a team that gets stuff done, and be empowered to innovate and pursue bold initiatives that drive our business forward.

Are You Our Next ACE?
  • Execute a comprehensive Continuous Improvement roadmapS aligned with strategic objectives, to help achieving Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost metrics
  • Partner with site General Managers to identify, prioritize, and resource improvement initiatives based on business impact, customer requirements, and strategic growth goals
  • Build and manage a CI project pipelines, ensuring consistent execution, governance, and measurable financial returns
  • Benchmark internal and external best practices; identify and adopt proven methodologies to advance the Company's competitive position
  • Generate regular executive-level reports and dashboards on CI program status, financial benefits, and key metrics trends
  • Lead and facilitate Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops, using lean tools such as value stream mapping, 5S, Standard Work, Visual Factory, Problem Solving, Mistake Proofing, Cell Design and Material Replenishment and Flow
  • Deploy, support and mature Daily Tiered Accountability Process at multiple sites
  • Design and optimize factory layouts and workstation configurations
  • Create visual management systems including production boards, KPI dashboards, Andon systems, and performance tracking displays
  • Lead Continuous Improvement projects at multiple sites
  • Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) using tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, Pareto Analysis, and FMEA to identify and address systemic issues
  • Establish baseline metrics, set improvement targets, and measure results to validate the effectiveness of improvement initiatives
  • Use A3 problem-solving methodology to document problems, analyze root causes, develop countermeasures, and standardize solutions
  • Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs), including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), First Pass Yield (FPY), Scrap Rate, Cycle Time, Lead Time, Inventory Turns, and Labor Productivity
  • Partner with the leadership team to identify improvement priorities based on business impact, customer requirements, and strategic growth initiatives
  • Lead, coach, and develop cross-functional improvement teams, including members from Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance
  • Deliver training programs on Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement tools for employees at all level
  • Coach and mentor team members in applying improvement methodologies to daily work, developing their problem-solving capabilities, and a continuous improvement mindset
  • Champion and sustain a culture of continuous improvement where all employees are engaged, empowered, and recognized for contributing to improvements
  • Calculate and report the financial impact of improvement initiatives, including cost savings, cost avoidance, productivity gains, and quality improvements
  • Comply with all company policies and procedures
  • Perform other duties as assigned


Systems You'll Use:
  • Google Workspace
  • SmartView
  • Salesforce
  • ADP
  • Syspro
  • QMS
  • Planful


Pay Transparency:

Winchester Interconnect Corporation is committed to pay transparency. The pay range for this position is $140,000 - $190,000 per year. Exact salary will be contingent upon your experience, education, skills, and any other factors Winchester Interconnect Corporation considers relevant to the hiring decision.

For a sneak peek into some of our benefits and to learn more about our career opportunities, click here https://www.winconn.com/jobs/.

***Candidate Inquiries Only-No Third-Parties***

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Winchester Interconnect

  • General Manager
    $160K — $220K *
    Orange, CA 92867 (Orange County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Technical Trainer- Aerospace
    $70K — $100K *
    Garden Grove, CA 92840 (Orange County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • Manufacturing Engineer
    $95K — $100K *
    Peabody, MA 01960 (Essex County)
    Manufacturing & Automotive
    In-Person
  • Quality Manager
    $115K — $120K *
    Peabody, MA 01960 (Essex County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person
  • Quality Engineer
    $80K — $100K *
    Garden Grove, CA 92840 (Orange County)
    Aerospace & Defense
    In-Person

More Manufacturing & Automotive Jobs

Find similar Continuous Improvement Manager jobs: