Sr. Manager, Global Continuous Improvement

Company: Northern Tool & Equipment - Glassdoor 3.8 ?
Location: Burnsville
Posted on: October 12, 2021

Job Description:

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION:

To manage, communicate and execute the Company’s continuous improvement vision, strategies, methods and tools to achieve improved results in key business metrics relating to safety, quality, delivery, cost, growth, and morale. To be an agent of change and support the cultural shift in the adoption of Lean daily management principles across the Manufacturing, Logistics and Merchandising network. 


POSITION SUMMARY:

• This person will need little direction and will have the knowledge and experience to run a continuous improvement playbook. They will have examples of successful Kaizen applications from previous experience and will be able to adapt and articulate their methodology to the Company’s specific needs. 

• This person will not only be a part of planning for continuous improvement events, they will also need to be able to roll up their sleeves and be on the floor to execute the plans and events when needed. 

• This person will have the outcome-based goals to expand capacity and remove cost for the processes and locations supported. Their performance will be linked to end of year goals of EBITDA, their scorecard, and their contribution to the continuous improvement environment for the locations they support.


MAJOR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Owns the continuous improvement culture for all assigned areas including identifying and working on key projects for improvement, identifying and limiting waste, and successfully implementing more efficient processes. Establishes a multi-year continuous improvement roadmap to drive standardization and sustainability for across all locations supported.

2. Leads successful Kaizen events by installing and ensuring commitment to the Kaizen process including the planning of Kaizen with a dynamic funnel process, Kaizen execution, and sustainment of Kaizen. Elevates critical business decisions to the appropriate management teams and functional managers as needed.

3. Leads and maintains the Kaizen plan calendar across the supported locations, assembles cross functional teams, leads the team in conducting the event, and isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and participate events as needed. 

4. Develops improvement strategies that are aligned with company strategic objectives, initiatives, and projects as they pertain to manufacturing, logistics and merchandising operations. Leads year over year productivity improvements, EBITDA growth, and manages the KPIs and reporting methods to track and report process improvements.

5. Establishes the strategies, goals, and tools to employ in projects (from X to Y), and compares actual results achieved to the targets. Maintains records of the events ran, the tools used, the results achieved, post event maintenance, and manages to a budget.

6. Leads breakthrough opportunities by applying data driven, process solving techniques. Monitors and analyzes various metrics and processes (physical and transactional), to prioritize which continuous improvement opportunities and activities will yield the greatest impact across the network.

7. Utilizes various lean manufacturing tools to drive safety, quality, efficiency and waste reduction. Develops and refines training material on Lean principles and tools. Is the primary mentor in developing the knowledge, skills and application of Lean principles and developing other Lean leaders and executors.

8. Develops and maintains the structure of ensuring that processes are being followed in accordance with documented procedures by creating audits to verify follow through and sustainment. Creates and revises process documentation when a formal process does not exist or requires updating.

9. Champions employee engagement with continuous improvement at all levels of the organization. Collaborates with other department managers and leaders to understand the goals and objectives for their areas of responsibility and assists them in the development of strategies and use of tools to achieve their desired results.

10. Leads employees as it relates to all projects or related work, establishes performance requirements, clarifies responsibilities. Provides input to performance appraisals and plans for individual employee development.

11. Keeps supervisors informed of important developments, potential problems, and related information necessary for effective continuous improvement.  Coordinates and communicates plans and activities with others, as appropriate, to ensure a coordinated work effort and team approach.

12. Performs related work as apparent or assigned.


QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business management or related field of study.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a manufacturing industry.
• At least 5 years in a continuous improvement role. 
• At least 2 years of supervisory leadership experience.
• Strong background in driving cross-functional continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives required.
• Expert level understanding of lean manufacturing principles, philosophies and practices.  
• Ability to train and inspire continuous improvement transformation, as well as influence through leadership and coaching without reliance on position or authority.
• Demonstrated application and proven results in utilizing a large range of tools and methods for process improvement, commonly used in lean manufacturing.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Problem Solving and other Continuous Improvement certifications strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success with Kaizen applications with the ability to adapt and articulate their methodology to the Company’s specific needs.
• Demonstrated ability in organizing work and results in the various stages of project and change management. 
• Ability to work independently under ambiguous and changing conditions, with deadline and resource constraints.
• Excellent communication skills and is comfortable in front of all levels of the organization, as well as external customers.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across disciplines and integrate all aspects of business as they impact continuous improvement projects, including negotiation of scope, roles and responsibilities, specifications, timelines, and resources.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite of programs including Excel, Word and Power Point.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time to facilities in Minnesota, Texas, and South Carolina. 
• Ability to travel on an occasional basis to facilities located internationally. 
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with a wide variety of suppliers, customers, and company personnel at varying levels of the organization including senior executive leadership.
• Demonstrates Northern Tool + Equipment’s 12 Core Competencies.

Keywords: Northern Tool & Equipment - Glassdoor 3.8 ?, Burnsville , Sr. Manager, Global Continuous Improvement, Other , Burnsville, Minnesota