Johnson Controls

Lean Leader

Johnson Controls$75K — $95K *
York, PA 17403In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred.
  • 3-7 years of experience in Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or industrial engineering.
  • Experience in a Lean environment (maturing or advanced preferred).
  • Demonstrated success leading continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Expertise in Lean tools such as VSM, Kaizen facilitation, SMED, 5S, standard work, takt time, and pull systems.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience using A3 or similar methodologies.
  • Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage daily production to meet SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People) targets.
  • Conduct tiered daily management (TDM) / huddles to align teams.
  • Monitor visual management boards and drive accountability to KPIs.
  • Escalate issues appropriately and ensure timely resolution.
  • Own and sustain Lean systems such as Standard Work, 5S, and Kanban.
  • Lead and facilitate Kaizen events and daily continuous improvement (DCI).
  • Coach team members in structured problem solving and lead resolution of complex issues.

Benefits

  • Promote a culture of respect for people and continuous learning.
  • Foster team members' skills through training and cross-training opportunities.
  • Encourage a zero-incident safety culture with strong safety ownership.
  • Support a proactive approach to problem prevention rather than reactive firefighting.
Full Job Description
What you will do

The Front-Line Lean Leader is responsible for leading daily operations while embedding and sustaining Lean principles to drive safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people development. This role goes beyond traditional supervision by acting as a coach, problem solver, and culture builder, ensuring Lean thinking becomes the standard way of working.

The ideal candidate develops frontline team members, strengthens problem-solving capability, and continuously improves processes through structured Lean methodologies.

How you will do it

1. Daily Operations & Performance Management

  • Lead and manage daily production to meet SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People) targets.


  • Conduct and sustain tiered daily management (TDM) / huddles.


  • Monitor visual management boards and drive accountability to KPIs.


  • Escalate issues appropriately and ensure timely resolution.


2. Lean Leadership & Continuous Improvement

  • Own and sustain Lean systems such as:


  • Standard Work


  • 5S and workplace organization


  • Visual management


  • Kanban / pull systems


  • Lead and facilitate:


  • Kaizen events


  • Daily continuous improvement (DCI)


  • Waste identification and elimination (8 wastes)


  • Ensure improvements are standardized, sustained, and audited


3. Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis

  • Coach team members in structured problem solving:


  • A3 thinking


  • PDCA cycles


  • 5 Whys and fishbone analysis


  • Personally lead resolution of complex or recurring problems


  • Build team capability to move from reactive firefighting to proactive prevention


4. People Development & Engagement

  • Develop team members through:


  • Skills training and cross-training


  • Coaching on Lean behaviors and mindset


  • Conduct daily Gemba walks with a focus on:


  • Listening


  • Teaching


  • Removing barriers


  • Foster a culture of:


  • Respect for people


  • Accountability


  • Continuous learning


5. Standard Work & Process Discipline

  • Ensure all processes are defined, documented, and followed


  • Maintain and improve Leader Standard Work


  • Audit adherence to standards and drive gap closure


  • Promote stability before optimization


6. Safety & Quality Ownership

  • Champion a zero-incident safety culture


  • Lead safety observations and corrective actions


  • Ensure quality at the source:


  • Stop and fix problems


  • Support mistake-proofing (poka-yoke)


  • Reinforce "do not pass defects forward" mindset


7. Collaboration & Cross-Functional Alignment

  • Work closely with:


  • Engineering


  • Maintenance


  • Supply Chain


  • Quality


  • Support implementation of new processes and improvements.


  • Drive alignment between frontline execution and strategic objectives.


What we look for

Experience & Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred or 3-7 years of experience in Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or industrial engineering.


  • Experience in a Lean environment (maturing or advanced preferred).


  • Demonstrated success leading continuous improvement initiatives.


  • Demonstrated expertise in Lean tools: VSM, Kaizen facilitation, SMED, 5S, standard work, takt time, flow, pull systems.


  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience using A3 or similar methodologies.


  • Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.


Leadership Competencies

  • Coaching mindset (teaches rather than directs).


  • High emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.


  • Ability to hold people accountable while maintaining trust.


  • Strong facilitation and communication skills.


Behavioral Traits

  • Bias for action with structured thinking.


  • Curious and continuously learning.


  • Resilient and adaptable in a changing environment.


  • Leads by example ("walks the talk").


About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls International plc is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland that produces automotive parts such as batteries and electronics and HVAC equipment for buildings. It employs 105,000 people in around 2,000 locations across six continents. As of 2019, it was listed as 389th in the Fortune Global 500; in 2020, it became ineligible for the list. Johnson Controls was founded in 1885 by Warren S. Johnson, a professor at the State Normal School in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Originally called the Johnson Electric Service Company, it focused on automatic temperature regulation. In 1974, the company changed its name to Johnson Controls.
Learn more about Johnson Controls
Size
101,000 employees
Market Cap
$44.1 billion
Industry
Net Income
$923 million
Founded
1885
5 Year Trend
+2.1%
Revenue
$22 billion
NASDAQ

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