The Global Continuous Improvement Director reports to the Director of APS Centers of Excellence and will be pivotal in defining the new way of driving Continuous Improvement / Value Enhancement in APS (new way of working) by ultimately combining Lean / 5S, VEP and best practice sharing.

Initially, this will be by leading the Value Enhancement Program of LYB across all the APS Manufacturing sites Globally over a 2 year program. Potential value from Manufacturing initiatives estimated to be between $30 million to $50 million.

In parallel, this role will lead the implementation of Lean / 5S across all the APS sites and ultimately into the APS Business and support functions. Initially this will be understanding how Lean / 5S is being used in the 14 sites that have active programs, leading to an APS bespoke program that will be rolled out to all Manufacturing sites. This is transformational to change how an organization thinks and acts around eliminating wastes and improving efficiencies.

Additionally, this role will set up best practices sharing (network) and drive best practice adoption across all Manufacturing sites.

The role has no direct reports but will provide oversight and leadership to the 4 Regional VEP Sherpas, the site Transformation leads, the 4 regional Lean / 5S managers and the best practice network.

The role collaborates with stakeholders to ensure the successful integration of the functional groups within Manufacturing to deliver the successful transformation. This position will provide timely ad-hoc support to the Manufacturing teams and the APS Transformation Office (TO).

This position has a global scope, covering all 56 sites across the world. It is a critical role responsible for driving and leading organizational change and transformation initiatives to achieve strategic objectives and improve overall performance. The Continuous Improvement Mgr collaborates with stakeholders across different departments, providing direction and support to ensure successful implementation and adoption of transformational changes.
The role is accountable for supporting the Manufacturing Organization and other Corporate Functions for the successful implementation and execution of APS new way of working.

* Value Enhancement Program (VEP)
o Lead the transformation and change management across the organization to support the VEP integration at the Manufacturing sites, Commercial and Corporate Functions.
o Provide leadership and oversight to the 4 Regional Manufacturing Sherpas such that the onboarding training, preparation, kick off, guiding and assessing the health and maturity the VEP leaders of all functions and locations.
o Collaborate with stakeholders to effectively embed corporate functions (Procurement, IDC, CCE, Supply Chain, CoE) within the Manufacturing VEP. Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment to ensure seamless integration and cooperation across the organization.
* Lean / 5S
o Provide leadership and oversight to the 4 Regional Manufacturing Lean / 5S focal points
o Building upon the 14 Manufacturing sites that currently have ongoing Lean / 5S programs, develop a bespoke APS program
o Drive the implementation of the APS program across all APS Manufacturing sites
* Best Practice
o Set up and facilitate best practice sharing and adoption across APS Manufacturing sites (network)
o Drive adoption of best practices across sites to improve efficiencies and safety
* Future State
o Working with stakeholders, develop an APS continuous improvement program combining the above 3 elements - VEP, LEAN / 5S and best practices
o Implement the APS Continuous Improvement Program, documenting the program in a Playbook, and auditing sites for continuous improvement activities
o Provide the strategic support for the Manufacturing sites and other Corporate Functions to continue improving capabilities for an evergreen strategic operating model
o Support and influence Senior Leaders on the transformation of their teams
o Continuously assess and evaluate the effectiveness of transformation initiatives. Identify opportunities for improvement and optimization and make data-driven recommendations to enhance the overall transformation process
o Effectively communicate the vision, objectives, and progress of transformation initiatives to all stakeholders. Build strong relationships with stakeholders to gain support and ensure alignment.
o Drive the cultural adoption of the program across APS manufacturing and ultimately across APS functions

1. Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field
2. At least 20 years of experience within the chemical, petrochemical or compounding industry in a complex and dynamic environment, including 10 years of experience in implementing Lean / 5S

1. Previous supervisory and/or management experience is preferred
2. Strong people and organizational leadership acumen demonstrated through previous experience within manufacturing and across the organization
3. Ability to communicate strategy and priorities to all levels of the organization
4. Ability to perform autonomously as well as in a team, self-starter
5. Proven track record in leading organizations, including managing change and developing people and organization towards changing requirements and challenges
6. Strong customer focus and networking skills, ability to establish and maintain relationships across all levels of the organization and functions
7. Ability to prioritize, manage different projects simultaneously, meet deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities
8. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing, delivering, and evaluating continuous improvement initiatives
9. Formal training and qualification or experience in implementation of Lean/5S