Continuous Improvement Manager

The Lean Manager role will be responsible for developing and executing a culture of continuous improvement across Thermon operations. This position will be the primary point of contact to lead and mentor teams through an effective change process to deliver continuous improvement in support of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Productivity performance.

This role will partner and work closely with The Leadership Management Team promoting positive culture, collaboration, and high-performance work environment though progressive Operational practices.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities include:

• Deployment and training of continuous improvement methodologies such as lean business and manufacturing methods, advanced problem-solving techniques, and approaches to visual workplace management.

• Lead the outcomes for strategic initiatives by developing operation and business systems to implement and track goal progress.

• Develop long-term strategy through the development of a continuous improvement pipeline of kaizen activities. Provide technical and business support to the overall deployment of initiatives. Create a dashboard to report metrics.

• Identify gaps in performance against Best-in-Class Benchmarks, lead improvement initiatives that close gaps. Act as change agent to instill Lean culture throughout the organization.

• Influence the Value Stream to support and demonstrate expected behaviors and successfully deploy and sustain the Lean Production System

• Execute process improvement efforts through Kaizen activities, Value Stream Mapping, Process Control and SMED projects to positively impact customer and business metrics.

• Implement pull systems and/or material flow between manufacturing processes, distribution, and Supply Chain. Ensure sustainability and improvement to inventory turns.

• Regularly engage with all areas of the business, share best practices and benchmark with other businesses across the organization.

• Support new product introduction projects through product management and new process implementation techniques such as 3P implementation.

KNOWLEDGE & QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in Engineering, Business, or similar technical discipline

• 5 to 10+ years related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Must have demonstrated experience in leading a lean transformation process (Shingo, Model Site, etc.).

Analytical Skills:

• Ability to apply mathematical concepts and tools such as trend charts, Pareto's, and Standard Deviation.

• Strong financial understanding, able to analyze and characterize results in terms of financial benefit.

• Must be able to think strategically and develop and implement business strategies and can execute with tactical plans.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Ability to interpret a variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Manufacturing software, Spreadsheets, Word Processing and Presentations.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, Special Skills:

Formal certification as a Lean Expert and/or Lean Black Belt.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Must be able to stand for long periods of time on hard surfaces. Must be able to walk long distances in and between work areas.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

In certain areas of the facility personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required, including safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, and ear plugs.

Core Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Problem Solving

• Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Oral Communication

• Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions; demonstrates group presentation skills; participates in meetings.

Adaptability

• Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

Quality

• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality.

Teamwork

• Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

Planning/Organizing

• Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.

Innovation

• Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention. Able to apply Lean concepts to varying situations and develop solutions to a variety of problems and opportunities.