POSITION PURPOSE:

• This position will help lead, mentor and teach business leaders and associates how to use Lean methodologies to drive key process indicators and facilitate continuous improvement. Responsibilities include driving Kaizen events on bottlenecks and providing hands-on Lean expertise within a specific region, while providing education and coaching to team members on Lean methodologies.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides cross-functional coordination and Lean subject matter expertise for Reddy Ice in the development, and implementation of the Reddy Ice Way (Lean Enterprise), as assigned, to ensure improvement in key KPI’s: safety, cost, productivity and delivery.
• Works with key stakeholders in planning, organizing, implementing and reviewing process improvement projects, including region, market and business unit level strategies.
• Creates opportunities for instructional guidance, including development and delivery of Lean training, especially during Kaizen events and other initiatives that require subject matter expertise, to ensure others can lead, champion, and sustain process improvements.
• Communicates with management when a problem exists and recommends alternatives for problem resolution.
• Proactively identifies and investigates variances and resolves complex questions/issues that impact multiple areas.
• Initiates, implements, measures, and reports on process improvement projects throughout the assigned region. Creates, updates, and trains on documentation for new processes and systems.
• Develops and enhances process improvement metrics, dashboards, and other reporting/monitoring tools as needed.
• Provides leaders and associates with guidance to handle difficult and complex problems; works cross-functionally to resolve issues.
• Prioritize and review all aspects of processes within a region including field service equipment, transportation, and manufacturing SOPs.
• Identify bottlenecks, conduct root cause analyses, and create project plans and scenarios to streamline processes.
• Manage the tactical execution of the continuous process improvement strategy by acting as a project lead and/or sponsor for various initiatives.
• Conduct advanced data collection and financial analyses to prove ROI and determine feasibility on process improvement, equipment, and/or technology.
• Create process mapping, standard work, and project management documents, including “as-is analysis” and the transition to future state.
• Develop capital budgets from initial scope through project completion. This includes ensuring capital projects are well executed and accomplish the business impact outlined in the project scope. Ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
• Develop and conduct compliance audits, program evaluations, and review to drive results to ensure that change is sustainable and permanent.
• Create a set of actionable and targeted change management plans, within an assigned region, to include (but not limited to): communication plans, sponsor roadmaps, coaching plans, training plans, etc.
• Develop, train, and mentor others in the use of Lean tools, approaches, and techniques to create a culture of continuous improvement.
• Make and assume other duties and responsibilities required or assigned by management.
• Adhere to the Reddy Ice Code of Business Ethics. We value honesty and integrity above all else and we expect our employees to be committed to the highest ethical standards.

OPERATING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Requires expert continuous process improvement knowledge. Must be able to diagnose process and system problems and use Lean principles to reduce inefficiencies and profit loss. Requires strong project management and leadership skills, financial acumen, and motivation of people as well as the ability to instruct hands-on/classroom/individual training in all related change management cultural areas. Requires excellent decision making, planning and analysis skills. The Reddy Ice budget will be impacted indirectly due to the effects of efficiencies created by process improvement projects as they relate to the cost of the improved process.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree required and a minimum of 10 years’ experience in continuous process improvement management.
• 5-10 years leading continuous process improvement teams.
• PMP certification preferred but not required; Lean Six Sigma Black Belt required.
• Must have expert Excel, Word, PowerPoint, project management, and training skills.
• Proven success as a “hands-on” manager in roles of increasing responsibility. This success would ideally have been obtained in a “turnaround” situations(s) that executed Lean transformation efforts to create value.
• Prior experience conducting operational due diligence in support of M&A transactions highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve positive returns managing a portfolio of Lean transformation projects.
• Tangible track record of evaluating and managing risk/reward tradeoffs to maximize value.