A rapidly growing manufacturer in the clean energy and advanced technology sector is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to drive Lean and Six Sigma initiatives across its North American operations. This role is integral to building the company's internal excellence systems, optimizing cross-functional workflows, and supporting strategic deployment through process improvement, training, and enterprise-wide collaboration.
This position is ideal for a hands-on Lean expert who thrives in a dynamic, innovation-focused manufacturing environment and is passionate about shaping systems that reduce waste, improve efficiency, and elevate operational performance.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead cross-functional Lean Six Sigma projects aligned with strategic goals; manage initiatives with significant financial and operational impact.
- Facilitate annual strategy deployment and improvement planning cycles (e.g., Hoshin Kanri or equivalent methodologies).
- Conduct value stream mapping, kaizen events, and root cause analysis (RCA) across engineering, production, supply chain, and quality teams.
- Deliver Lean and Six Sigma training (White through Green Belt, with involvement in Black Belt content), coach team members through project execution and certification.
- Guide site-level and corporate teams through Lean Six Sigma implementation, tracking KPIs, and measuring program maturity.
- Integrate continuous improvement systems with MES and business intelligence tools; develop dashboards and automated reporting tools in collaboration with IT.
- Support CAPA efforts (A3, Apollo, 5 Whys) and partner with Quality and Engineering to eliminate recurring issues and drive design-for-manufacturing improvements.
- Benchmark internal and external best practices; apply learnings to strengthen systems and build a performance-driven culture.
- Travel to support training and project leadership across multiple sites as needed.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (Engineering preferred).
- Minimum 7 years in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, or Quality, with at least 5 years in a company with a formal Lean Six Sigma program.
- 3+ years of project management experience leading cross-functional initiatives.
- Demonstrated success driving results through Lean tools (VSM, Kaizen, 5S, SMED, TPM) and Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC).
- Comfortable managing large project portfolios and coaching others through certification.
- Proficiency in Minitab and Microsoft Office suite; familiarity with ERP and BI tools (e.g., Power BI).
- Strong facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Preferred:
- Lean certification; Six Sigma Green or Black Belt strongly preferred.
- Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2) is a plus.
- Experience working with strategy deployment models and metrics development.
Compensation & Benefits:
- $85,000-$120,000 annually, based on experience
- Paid time off (vacation, sick, holidays)
- 401(k) with employer match
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Health Savings Account options
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Employee recognition and clean energy product discounts
- Growth opportunities in a mission-driven, sustainability-focused industry