Director of Continuous Improvement

Title:                           Director of Continuous Improvement

Functional Area:       Operations

Reports to:                 VP of Operations

Position Description: The Director of Continuous Improvement (CI) is responsible for developing, leading, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives across multiple manufacturing facilities. This role drives operational excellence by leading Lean and other CI initiatives focused on improving productivity, reducing waste, enhancing quality, and standardizing best practices. The CI Director partners closely with plant leadership teams to foster a culture of continuous improvement at every level.

Director of Continuous Improvement Responsibilities:

Essential Job Functions:

• Design and implement CI strategies across multiple manufacturing sites, aligning with corporate goals in productivity, safety, quality, and sustainability.
• Conduct operational assessments and identify opportunities for process optimization, cost reduction, and efficiency improvements.
• Facilitate Lean events such as Kaizen workshops, value stream mapping, 5S, SMED, and root cause analyses to improve process flow, eliminate waste, and increase operational efficiency.
• Standardize CI tools, metrics, and practices across all facilities, ensuring consistent application and measurable results.
• Establish and standardize Scorecards, and KPIs across all sites; provide regular reporting to senior leadership.
• Act as a coach and mentor to CI leaders and operations personnel at each site; build local capabilities in Lean, problem-solving, and sustainability.
• Collaborate with plant managers and cross-functional teams (engineering, quality, supply chain, HR) to integrate CI efforts with business goals.
• Share best practices across sites and create a knowledge-sharing environment that accelerates results.
• Support the implementation of automation, layout improvements, and digital transformation initiatives as needed.
• Travel to manufacturing sites regularly (approx. 25–50%) to support and guide local CI efforts.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic thinker with a focus on Operational execution
• Ability to foster collaboration and teamwork across the organization
• Intellectually curious with a continuous learning mindset
• Results-oriented with analytical rigor with a demonstrated track record delivering on commitments

Preferred Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 7 years of experience in manufacturing, with at least 3 years in a CI leadership role across multiple sites.
• Proven experience implementing CI tools and delivering measurable improvements in productivity, quality, and cost.
• Strong project management skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams remotely and onsite.
• Excellent facilitation, coaching, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with data analysis, KPIs, and manufacturing systems (ERP, MES, etc.).
• Experience working with ERP/MES systems and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Proven success leading digital transformation projects or integrating smart factory solutions.