Associate Director – Continuous Improvement

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +4 more states.

📋 Description

• Establish the multi-year Continuous Improvement and Lean strategy for JMCRS Operations in collaboration with the VP of Operations.

• Oversee a team of Continuous Improvement Specialists and Senior Specialists implementing Lean methodologies across operational locations.

• Manage the Operations Kaizen and Lean deployment roadmap.

• Represent Continuous Improvement in leadership discussions.

• Administer the program budget and assess measurable impacts on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

• Develop and enhance a robust Lean management system.

• Cultivate the next generation of Operational Excellence leaders.

• Mentor operational excellence team members and promote ongoing improvement of the program.

• Guide team members on Kaizen and essential Lean tools.

• Oversee the Kaizen funnel and ensure the sustainability of completed Kaizen initiatives.

• Lead the identification, facilitation, and monitoring of operational improvement projects.

• Collaborate with managers to establish project scope, identify opportunities, set goals, timelines, strategies, and create project plans.

• Provide leadership, coaching, performance management, and development for a distributed team supporting domestic U.S. operations.

• Exemplify organizational change management practices across various sites.

• Prepare analyses, flow charts, presentations, and reports while delivering scheduled status updates to leadership.

• Work with management to gather, verify, and organize financial, statistical, and operational information.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a scientific discipline is mandatory; a combination of education and experience will be considered.

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience is required.

• At least 6 years of supervisory experience is necessary.

• Extensive background in operational excellence and process improvement is essential.

• Profound understanding of Lean tools and methodologies, including Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Daily Management, Problem Solving, Kaizen, 5S, and 3P.

• Proven experience in leading and facilitating improvement events across various operational settings.

• Experience in guiding diverse, cross-functional teams through intricate operational challenges.

• Demonstrated success in coaching and developing leaders in Lean and Continuous Improvement practices.

• Strong analytical, technical, and statistical capabilities.

• Outstanding organizational and project management skills.

• Experience in designing and executing large-scale change management strategies and governance processes across multiple functions and locations.

• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and facilitation abilities.

• Proficient in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

• Strong experience in reporting and process mapping.

• Experience in leading enterprise-wide improvement initiatives and managing managers or geographically dispersed teams across various sites.

🏝️ Benefits

• Flexible remote work arrangement.

• Up to 50% domestic travel may be required.

• Equal employment opportunities.