Continuous Improvement Consultant

Continuous Improvement Leader – Site Operational Excellence

Position Overview

We are seeking an experiencedContinuous Improvement Leader to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives across an entire manufacturing/operations site. This individual will be responsible for developing and executing the site-level CI strategy, identifying opportunities for improvement, leading cross-functional initiatives, and delivering measurable improvements in productivity, quality, cost, safety, throughput, and overall operational performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on Lean/Six Sigma leader who has successfullyled site-level Continuous Improvement or Operational Excellence programs and can work effectively with everyone from frontline employees to senior site leadership.

This position requires more than project participation. The successful candidate willown the CI effort, establish priorities, lead major improvement initiatives, develop internal capabilities, and ensure improvements are sustained over time.

Key Responsibilities

Site-Level Continuous Improvement Leadership

• Develop, implement, and manage the site's overall Continuous Improvement/Operational Excellence strategy.
• Establish a CI roadmap aligned with business objectives and site performance goals.
• Partner with site leadership to identify, prioritize, and execute high-impact improvement opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives involving Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and other functional teams.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement and accountability throughout the organization.

Lean & Six Sigma Execution

• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, and other structured improvement initiatives.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops, problem-solving sessions, and value stream mapping exercises.
• Apply Lean tools to eliminate waste, improve flow, reduce variation, and optimize processes.
• Utilize process mapping, VSM, standard work, visual management, 5S, and other Lean methodologies.
• Apply statistical and data-driven approaches to identify process opportunities and validate improvements.

Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis

• Lead structured root-cause analysis using tools such as5 Why, Fishbone/Ishikawa, Pareto analysis, FMEA, and DMAIC.
• Identify the underlying causes of quality, productivity, cost, and process-performance issues.
• Develop corrective and preventive actions and ensure sustainable implementation.
• Partner with functional leaders to resolve complex operational problems.

Performance & Business Results

• Establish and monitor CI-related KPIs and performance metrics.
• Drive measurable improvements in:
  • Cost
  • Productivity
  • Throughput
  • Cycle time
  • Quality
  • Scrap and rework
  • OEE
  • Process efficiency
  • Customer satisfaction
• Quantify project savings and business impact.
• Track project progress and ensure improvement initiatives are completed on schedule.
• Present results, opportunities, and recommendations to site and senior leadership.

Coaching & Organizational Development

• Coach and mentor employees, supervisors, managers, and engineering teams on Lean and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Build internal CI capability by developing employees in Lean problem-solving tools.
• Promote employee engagement and ownership of improvement initiatives.
• Support organizational change and help teams adopt new processes and ways of working.
• Develop standardized processes and management systems that sustain improvements.

Sustainability & Standardization

• Ensure implemented improvements are standardized and maintained.
• Establish controls, standard work, visual management, and performance-monitoring systems.
• Conduct follow-up assessments to verify that improvements continue to deliver expected results.
• Identify additional opportunities for optimization and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree inIndustrial Engineering, Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• 5–10+ years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Manufacturing, Operations, or Process Excellence.
• Demonstrated experienceleading site-level/plant-level Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional improvement projects from identification through implementation and sustainment.
• Strong hands-on knowledge ofLean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, DMAIC, VSM, root-cause analysis, and process improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver measurable operational and financial results.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, communication, and leadership skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
• PMP or other project management certification
• Experience with ERP systems and business intelligence/data analytics tools
• Knowledge ofISO 9001, IATF 16949, or other applicable quality management systems
• Manufacturing or industrial operations experience
• Experience developing and executing a formal site-level Operational Excellence program

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is aproven Continuous Improvement leader, not simply a process improvement contributor. They should be able to walk into a manufacturing site, evaluate performance, identify the highest-value opportunities, build a roadmap with site leadership, mobilize cross-functional teams, lead improvement events, quantify results, and establish systems to sustain the gains.

The strongest candidates will have resume evidence of:

Site/Plant CI Leadership → Lean/Six Sigma → Cross-Functional Leadership → Measurable Savings/Results → Culture Change → Sustainability

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured through demonstrated improvements in:

• Cost savings and financial impact
• Productivity and throughput
• Process cycle time
• OEE, where applicable
• Scrap, defects, and rework
• Quality performance
• Operational efficiency
• Employee participation in CI initiatives
• Completion and sustainability of CI projects
• Customer satisfaction and service performance
• Adoption of Lean/CI methodologies across the site