ABOUT THE ROLEThe Senior Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager develops, deploys, and sustains the continuous improvement strategy across multiple precast concrete manufacturing facilities. This position drives operational excellence by applying Lean Manufacturing, structured problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making to improve safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and cost performance. The Senior CI Manager partners with plant leadership, corporate functions, and executive leadership to translate strategic objectives into measurable plant-level results and sustain them over time.
A key responsibility of this role is owning the effectiveness of the Tiered performance review system across all plants: coaching plant leadership in its use, auditing its discipline, analyzing performance data and Pareto trends across facilities, and converting identified losses into structured improvement projects that deliver measurable business results. The Senior CI Manager also aids in the deployment of CI tools and methodologies, developing the CI Engineers and plant leaders who carry the work forward.
This position reports to the SVP of Continuous Improvement and provides direction, coaching, and development to CI Engineers through a dotted-line relationship. The Senior CI Manager leads through influence, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration across all levels of the organization. Travel: 30-40% to company facilities across the Wells Network.
Salary range ($155,000-$175,000). Based on location and experience.SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. Safety is our highest priority. We believe a safe workplace is built on mutual respect, care, and accountability. Every team member is empowered and expected to follow safety practices, look out for one another, and speak up about potential risks. Together, we create an environment where everyone goes home safely each day.
WHAT WE OFFERWells provides a competitive benefits package designed to support employees' health, financial well-being, and work-life balance. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, company-paid disability and life insurance, wellness incentives, paid holidays, PTO, flexible spending accounts, HSA options, a 401(k) with profit sharing, access to Nice Healthcare, employee assistance resources, pet insurance, and additional voluntary coverage such as critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity plans.
- Health and family care leave is available to both union and non-union employees.
- Union employee benefits are provided through separate collective bargaining agreements
WHAT YOU'LL DOStrategy and Program Leadership- Support and execute the multi-plant continuous improvement strategy and roadmap in alignment with company strategic objectives and annual operating goals.
- Deploy CI standards, governance, and playbook (tools, templates, KPIs, and project methodology) so that improvement work is consistent and repeatable across facilities.
- Partner with the SVP of Continuous Improvement and executive leadership to prioritize improvement projects, set enterprise performance targets, and define the cadence for reporting results.
- Identify, evaluate, and replicate best practices across plants, and facilitate knowledge sharing between facilities.
- Support business planning and capital justification with CI input on flow, capacity, and standard work.
Tiered Meetings and Data Analysis- Own the effectiveness of the Tiered (1-4) performance review system across all facilities, coaching and auditing plant leadership to ensure meetings are held consistently, run to standard, and drive timely action. SEPQDC refers to Safety, Environment, People, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
- Tier 1: Plant-specific SEPQDC metrics with Plant Leadership - Weekly/Monthly
- Tier 2: 8-Step Problem-Solving Reviews with Department Leadership - Weekly
- Tier 3: Gemba walks focused on department SEPQDC metrics - Daily
- Tier 4: Departmental Hour-by-hour / task-specific review - Daily
- Participate directly in Tier 1 and Tier 2 reviews and coach CI Engineers and plant leaders on facilitating Tiers 1-4.
- Analyze Pareto charts and performance data across plants to identify recurring losses, production constraints, quality defects, downtime events, and safety concerns, and benchmark facility performance.
- Partner with the SVP of CI to develop enterprise performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting systems that give leadership clear, comparable visibility into plant performance.
Project Leadership and Problem Solving- Develop, prioritize, and manage a portfolio of continuous improvement projects across facilities based on data-driven opportunities and business impact.
- Set project objectives, timelines, success metrics, and accountability measures; ensure projects are appropriately resourced and aligned with strategic priorities.
- Lead or sponsor complex, cross-functional, and multi-site improvement projects, and facilitate root cause analysis using primarily 8-Step Problem-Solving along with 5-Why, Fishbone Diagram, and Process Mapping.
- Provide guidance to CI Engineers on project selection, scoping, and execution, and step in to unblock or lead the highest-impact initiatives.
- Report project progress and results to plant and executive leadership through visual management systems and performance dashboards.
- Establish and maintain a methodology, in partnership with Finance, to track and verify realized savings in productivity, quality, safety, uptime, material utilization, and labor efficiency.
Lean Implementation and Process Improvement- Lead process observations, workflow studies, and value stream mapping activities to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
- Identify and reduce losses specific to precast production, such as mold/form changeovers, curing cycle time, batching and rebar fabrication flow, crane and yard logistics, and finishing or patching rework.
- Drive implementation and sustainment of Lean Manufacturing principles across all facilities, including:
- 5S Workplace Organization
- Standard Work
- Visual Management
- Waste Elimination
- Continuous Flow
- Establish standard work and audit processes to sustain improvements after project closure.
- Plan and lead Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and employee engagement activities, including multi-plant events.
Coaching, Development, and Collaboration- Provide direction, coaching, and performance feedback to CI Engineers and build their capability in CI tools, project leadership, and data analysis.
- Collaborate with plant managers, production, maintenance, quality, engineering, supply chain, and finance to identify opportunities and secure alignment and resources.
- Partner with maintenance and engineering teams to improve reliability and process capability.
- Influence and build trust with leaders and employees at all levels and serve as a change leader when new processes and ways of working are introduced.
Safety, Compliance, and Strategic Support- Ensure all improvement activities comply with company safety policies, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Apply CI tools to support plants and enterprise safety initiatives and build safety into standard work.
- Support annual strategic initiatives and operational improvement goals established by executive and plant leadership.
- Prepare and present CI results, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Industrial Technology, Business, or a related field required.
- Minimum of eight (8) years of manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement experience required.
- Minimum of three (3) years leading continuous improvement programs across multiple sites, or in a leadership role with responsibility for coaching and developing others.
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma (Black Belt strongly preferred; Green Belt at minimum), or related continuous improvement certification required.
- Expert-level understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies, with a proven record of delivering sustained results.
- Ability to interpret complex operational data, identify meaningful trends, and translate them into prioritized, high-impact actions.
- Proficiency with Pareto analysis, root cause analysis, and corrective action processes.
- Strong analytical and strategic problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and lead others, including those who do not report directly to them.
- Excellent communication and presentation abilities, including presenting to executive leadership.
- Ability to influence and motivate employees and leaders at all levels of the organization and to drive cultural change.
- Strong project and portfolio management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects across multiple sites and meet deadlines.
- Working knowledge of financial analysis, including quantifying and validating cost savings and return on improvement initiatives.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with Power BI / AI is a plus.
- Knowledge of manufacturing performance metrics and KPI management systems.
- Ability to travel frequently and manage a flexible schedule, including occasional extended trips.
- Experience in precast concrete or a similar heavy manufacturing environment a plus.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS- Ability to walk production areas regularly and spend extended periods on the manufacturing floor.
- Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and access elevated work areas as needed.
- Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to work in an industrial manufacturing environment with exposure to dust, noise, vibration, and varying temperatures, including outdoor yard conditions.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, and safety footwear.
- Ability to travel by car and air, and to sit for extended periods during travel.
- This position operates in office, manufacturing, and travel environments across multiple precast concrete production facilities. The role requires frequent interaction with production personnel and regular presence on the manufacturing floor at each location to observe processes, coach teams, and verify project implementation. Significant travel is required, and the schedule may include occasional evenings or weekends to support plant needs.
This profile summarizes key duties and expectations but does not list every possible job task. Employees must follow all job-related instructions and duties assigned by supervisors.
