Continuous Improvement Manager

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field required
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification

Experience

• Proven experience leading Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence initiatives within a manufacturing environment
• Hands-on Industrial Engineering experience required
• Experience leading plant-level continuous improvement programs
• Multi-site manufacturing experience
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing tools and methodologies
• Demonstrated success driving waste reduction, operational improvements, and KPI performance

The Continuous Improvement Manager will lead Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence initiatives across multiple manufacturing facilities throughout North America. This role is responsible for driving continuous improvement programs, waste-reduction initiatives, KPI development, industrial engineering activities, and operational performance improvements throughout the organization.

This position partners closely with operations leadership, engineering, supply chain, and plant teams to build a culture focused on safety, efficiency, standardization, accountability, and sustainable operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & Lean Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of the company’s Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence strategy.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with operational and business objectives.
• Manage and track Lean roadmaps, improvement initiatives, project timelines, and operational results.
• Establish measurable targets focused on waste reduction, labor efficiency, productivity, and cost savings.
• Champion a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline across manufacturing sites.

Continuous Improvement Initiatives

• Standardize continuous improvement processes and Lean methodologies across all manufacturing locations.
• Lead Kaizen events, value stream mapping activities, root cause analysis efforts, and process optimization projects.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and coordinate improvement initiatives throughout manufacturing and supply chain operations.
• Support site leadership teams with continuous improvement tools, training, and implementation strategies.
• Drive best practice sharing and operational standardization between facilities.

Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing Performance

• Lead Industrial Engineering activities, including labor optimization, workflow analysis, process improvements, and operational standards development.
• Support facility layout optimization, capacity analysis, labor utilization, and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Drive equipment effectiveness and manufacturing performance improvements across all production facilities.
• Develop standardized KPI reporting and operational performance metrics.

KPI Development & Reporting

• Establish and maintain operational KPIs across manufacturing sites.
• Track and communicate operational performance, continuous improvement progress, and cost reduction results.
• Develop reporting structures and dashboards to support operational visibility and data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure consistency in operational reporting, metrics, and continuous improvement tracking.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with operations, engineering, supply chain, sales, and leadership teams to support operational initiatives.
• Support value stream mapping and operational integration activities across the organization.
• Participate in benchmarking initiatives and operational excellence programs.
• Lead and support employee-driven continuous improvement and suggestion initiatives across manufacturing sites.

Leadership & Culture

• Promote a strong safety-first and customer-focused culture throughout operations.
• Support organizational change management initiatives related to operational transformation.
• Mentor and support site-level continuous improvement coordinators and operational leaders.
• Foster engagement, accountability, and continuous learning across manufacturing teams.