Continuous Improvement Manager                    

POSITION TITLE: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MANAGER

REPORTING TO: PLANT MANAGER

AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY: LEAN, SIX SIGMA AND BEST PRACTICES POSITION SYNOPSIS

The Continuous Improvement Manager will lead and implement the Continuous Improvement (Lean, Six Sigma and Best Practice) strategy for the assigned Lear plant.

This individual will be responsible for establishing and monitoring Continuous Improvement (CI) activities and providing site leadership, direction and guidance in the implementation of Lean, Six Sigma, and Best Practices (LSS & BP) at the assigned Lear plant inclusive of manufacturing processes and traditional office transactions.

This position requires a Leader who is highly credible and has the experience, energy, and discipline to manage a plant strategy and business projects in complex and mission critical environment.  This Leader must have the personal characteristics and drive to be a long-term contributor to the company. 

Reports to the Plant Manager and will have a strong dotted line report to the Central CI team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

KEY ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE:

• Develop consistent Value Stream Maps (VSMs)

• Partner with all plant functional leaders, staff and associate level teams

• Ensure a consistent plant project pipeline

• Work closely with the central CI team to ensure Lean, Six Sigma and Best Practices (LSS & BP) compliance and implementation

• Identify and work to remove barriers that slow or prevent the successful attainment of LSS & BP

• DEPLOY LSS & BP STRATEGY IN PLANT(S), ENSURING COMMON COMPANY TRAINING COMPLIANCE AND UNDERSTANDING AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION

• Partner with plant management and central CI team and initiate Policy Deployment Strategy (PDS) for Performance, Goals, and Objectives

• Ensure Hoshin-Kanri goals and objectives alignment from the Global Executive team for LSS & BP, ensuring constant feedback and coaching to ensuring team objectives are met and exceeded

QUALIFICATIONS

BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Engineering degree preferably in Industrial or Manufacturing engineering and 5 to 10 years of experience in a manufacturing environment. An advanced degree in a business will be well regarded.
• Accredited LSS Black Belt , Lean Sensei , and or Master Black Belt certification is a plus
• Deep knowledge of culture change coupled with the relentless focus on details necessary to move companywide initiatives forward
• Ability to diagnose organizational dynamics and deployment of actions via communications
• Proven financial acumen, critical thinker with ability to provide an impartial, consultative and solutions oriented approach
• Strategically-minded with track record of execution excellence
• Able to set priorities and 'triage' in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Successful track record as a Change Agent for breakthrough improvements
• Able to work in a collaborative, global environment
• Five years experience Lean Manufacturing

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Influential leader with proven coaching and mentoring expertise

Proven 4E track record of Energy, Energize, Edge and Execution

• ENERGY – Candidate has energy to "go, go, go". S/he possess boundless energy and get up every day ready to attack the job at hand. High energy people move at 95 miles-per-hour in a 55 mile-per-hour world.

• ENERGIZER – Candidate knows how to spark others to perform. S/he can outline a vision and get people to carry it out. Energizers know how to get people excited about a cause or a crusade. They are selfless in giving others the credit when things go right, but quick to accept responsibility when things go awry.

• EDGE – Candidates exhibit “edge” and are competitive types. S/he knows how to make the really difficult decisions, such as hiring, firing and promoting, never allowing the degree of difficulty to stand in their way.

• EXECUTE - Executers recognize that activity and productivity are not the same and are capable of converting energy and edge into action and results. Without measurable results, the other "E's" are of little use.

• Demonstrated exceptional organizational, results driven, interpersonal, change leadership, facilitation and problem solving skills

• Clear communicator, able to address conflicts upfront

• Possesses the stature, credibility and professional experience to easily gain trust, command respect and influence others through principled leadership and sound business ethics

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to negotiate and mediate effectively. S/he must be determined and direct, without being intimidating or creating ill will

• Seasoned and emotionally mature, self-confident and able to maintain composure

• Strong management, organization, administrative and relationship skills along with well-developed leadership capabilities. Strong business acumen, able to judge 'noise' from materiality

• Able to create support and buy-in across a wide range of stakeholders by using communication processes to ensure understanding and alignment

Required Skills Required Experience