This role is critical in driving our Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing strategies across multiple manufacturing and distribution centers in North America. The successful candidate will be responsible for cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring operational excellence, and delivering measurable results in efficiency and productivity.
Job Responsibilities
Enterprise Program Execution:
- Collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, including operations, product management, sales, supply chain, and customer experience, to identify enterprise-wide improvement opportunities.
- Serve as the overall lead in the execution of large scale, enterprise-level initiatives aimed at enhancing quality, reducing costs, and optimizing delivery across the organization
- Engage with senior leadership to communicate progress, challenges, and successes of continuous improvement initiatives.
Continuous Improvement Strategy
- Develop and implement a global continuous improvement strategy that aligns with the company’s operational goals.
- Collaborate with site leaders to implement Lean Manufacturing and eliminate waste in all aspects of manufacturing and distribution processes, focusing on improving flow, reducing lead times, and enhancing product quality.
- Mentor projects teams in the execution of projects using Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques.
- Lead efforts to standardize and replicate successful improvement initiatives across North American manufacturing and distribution center locations.
- Benchmark industry best practices and support innovation in manufacturing and distribution processes.
- Develop dashboards and operating rhythms that communicate progress and impact of projects to stakeholders and senior leadership.
Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of continuous improvement professionals, fostering a high performance culture focused on operational excellence.
- Identify high performing individuals throughout the organization in order to build a talent pipeline of future continuous improvement practitioners.
- Serve as a change agent, promoting a mindset of continuous improvement and operational efficiency throughout the organization.
Qualifications
CORE SKILLS/COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 10 years of experience in manufacturing or distribution environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership role focused on the deployment of continuous improvement or Lean Manufacturing.
- Proven track record of leading enterprise-level initiatives with significant impact.
- Extensive knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies; Black Belt certification required, Master Black Belt strongly preferred
- Ability to travel up to 25% domestically to manufacturing and distribution centers
Competencies
- Strategic Vision: Ability to develop and execute a strategic vision for continuous improvement across a global organization.
- Influencing: Ability to influence at multiple levels of an organization.
- Communication: Ability to distill complex ideas, technical concepts, or strategic initiatives into clear, concise, and easily understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
- Change Management: Expertise in leading change initiatives and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex data and drive decisions based on insights.
- Leadership: Ability to inspire, lead, and develop teams to achieve operational excellence.
