Director of CI & Manufacturing Performance

Job Description

Essential Job Functions:

• Partner with the VP of Manufacturing to develop and execute annual manufacturing strategies, operational priorities, and multi-year continuous improvement roadmaps.
• Translate organizational manufacturing objectives into measurable improvement initiatives across the manufacturing network.
• Collaborate with Regional Directors of Operations to align plant-level improvement priorities with enterprise manufacturing objectives.
• Support the evaluation and prioritization of capital investments, operational improvement opportunities, and resource requirements.

• Represent Manufacturing in cross-functional strategic discussions with Finance, Engineering, Supply Chain, and other corporate functions, as delegated.
• Prepare and present manufacturing performance analyses, strategic recommendations, and operational updates to executive leadership.
• Identify opportunities to standardize manufacturing processes, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen performance accountability across facilities.
• Lead consolidated manufacturing budget tracking, financial performance reporting, and variance analysis across all manufacturing facilities in partnership with Finance.
• Collaborate with plant leadership and finance to identify cost reduction opportunities, productivity improvements, and operational efficiencies.
• Develop and maintain financial business cases for continuous improvement initiatives and proposed capital investments.
• Establish processes to quantify, validate, and track cost savings associated with manufacturing improvement projects.
• Analyze manufacturing cost drivers and recommend corrective actions to address unfavorable performance trends.
• Support annual budgeting and capital planning activities through operational analysis and financial recommendations.

• Partner with Finance to ensure consistency and accuracy in reporting improvement-related financial benefits.
• Establish and maintain a standardized manufacturing performance management framework across all facilities.
• Define and standardize key performance indicators, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), scrap, downtime, throughput, productivity, quality, and safety.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, and IT to establish consistent manufacturing execution system (MES) reporting and data integrity standards.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into manufacturing performance and improvement opportunities.
• Lead weekly and monthly manufacturing performance reviews in collaboration with regional and plant leadership.
• Identify underperforming facilities and coordinate structured root-cause analysis and corrective action planning.
• Monitor progress against established performance targets and escalate significant performance risks and resource constraints to the Vice President of Manufacturing.
• Promote data-driven decision-making and accountability for measurable operational improvements.

• Develop and deploy standardized continuous improvement methodologies, tools, and operating practices across the manufacturing network.
• Establish expectations for the application of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and other operational excellence principles.
• Provide functional leadership, technical guidance, and coaching to plant-level Continuous Improvement Managers.
• Establish and facilitate a network-wide CI community of practice to promote training, knowledge sharing, and consistency in improvement methodologies.
• Review and prioritize plant-level continuous improvement project pipelines based on operational impact, financial return, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Evaluate improvement initiatives to ensure appropriate project discipline, measurable results, and sustainability.
• Facilitate the replication of successful manufacturing practices across multiple facilities.
• Identify organizational capability gaps and recommend appropriate training, resources, or process improvements.
• Partner with plant leadership to embed continuous improvement practices into daily manufacturing operations.

• Build effective working relationships with Regional Directors of Operations, Plant Managers, and corporate functional leaders to align improvement priorities.
• Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives involving Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and Human Resources.
• Drive organizational adoption of standardized manufacturing processes, reporting requirements, and performance management practices.
• Influence operational decisions through data analysis, financial justification, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Facilitate alignment and resolve competing priorities across facilities while respecting established operational reporting relationships.
• Promote a culture of accountability, employee engagement, and continuous improvement throughout the manufacturing organization.

• Provide coaching and developmental support to plant-level CI Managers through functional leadership and established reporting relationships.
• Assess continuous improvement capabilities across the manufacturing network and recommend development initiatives.
• Support leadership development through exposure to enterprise manufacturing strategy, operational performance, and cross-functional decision-making.
• Participate in strategic manufacturing initiatives and executive-level discussions as directed by the Vice President of Manufacturing.
• Maintain an understanding of regional manufacturing challenges and operational differences to support enterprise-wide decision-making.

Qualifications: 

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in manufacturing operations, continuous improvement, or operational excellence.
• Demonstrated experience in plant-level operational leadership, preferably at the Plant Manager or Operations Manager level.
• Experience leading complex manufacturing improvement initiatives and delivering measurable operational and financial results.
• Demonstrated experience with manufacturing budgeting, financial analysis, cost modeling, and capital investment justification.
• Experience utilizing manufacturing execution systems, performance dashboards, and key performance indicators to manage operational performance.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence operational leaders without direct reporting authority.
• Experience developing and implementing standardized processes and improvement methodologies within a manufacturing environment.

• Advanced knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production systems, and operational performance management.
• Demonstrated financial acumen, including budgeting, variance analysis, cost reduction, and return-on-investment analysis.
• Ability to analyze complex operational data and translate findings into actionable improvement strategies.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational change management capabilities.
• Ability to establish accountability and influence decisions across multiple organizational levels.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information to executive leadership.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build collaborative relationships across geographically dispersed manufacturing facilities.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and lead initiatives across a complex manufacturing network.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and manufacturing performance reporting systems.

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent demonstrated expertise.
• Experience in a Tier 1 automotive manufacturing environment.
• Previous responsibility for continuous improvement or operational performance across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Experience leading organizational change across geographically dispersed operations.
• Demonstrated success in both plant-level operational leadership and corporate or network-level manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience supporting executive-level manufacturing strategy, capital planning, and financial performance reviews.
• Familiarity with automotive quality management systems and manufacturing industry standards, including IATF 16949.

Education:   

• Master’s degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, or a related field.
• Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.