Continuous Improvement Manager

Teijin Automotive Technologies is an innovative and full-service Tier One supplier with a global presence and emphasis in development for lightweight technologies. Teijin Automotive offers employees the opportunity to join a leading edge company within the composite material industry and enjoy the benefits offered by a growing company in North America and internationally.

Essential Job Functions:

• Analyze and measure the effectiveness of existing business processes and develop sustainable, repeatable, and quantifiable process improvements.
• Partner closely with Operations and Functional Teams to identify process bottlenecks, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions across the organization.
• Lead productivity and process improvement projects aligned with plant and corporate business initiatives.
• Utilize Industrial Engineering tools such as time studies, line balancing, standard work, layout optimization, and capacity modeling to improve throughput and labor efficiency.
• Drive Lean manufacturing initiatives that include Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, 5S, SMED, visual management, and mistake-proofing (poka-yoke).
• Coach and mentor project teams to fulfill certification requirements and achieve quality and process improvement objectives.
• Initiate and lead projects that improve end-to-end processes; establish measurement systems, validate improvements, and audit sustainability to ensure lasting business impact.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to track improvement effectiveness and communicate results to leadership.
• Support World Class Manufacturing deployment and standardization efforts across departments.
• Promote a continuous improvement culture through training, engagement, and hands-on leadership. Provide direct leadership to CI team members and/or project resources as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 7+ years of project management experience in a manufacturing environment utilizing Lean/Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Minimum three (3) years of supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Strong Industrial Engineering foundation with practical application in high-volume manufacturing.
• Proven experience driving measurable improvements in productivity, cost, quality, and delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using data to drive decisions.
• Proficient in root cause analysis methodologies (A3, 5 Why, Fishbone, etc.).
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in Tier 1 automotive manufacturing preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) preferred.

Core Competencies

• World Class Manufacturing / Lean Expertise
• Industrial Engineering Applications
• Project Leadership
• Change Management
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Coaching and Team Development
• Continuous Improvement Mindset

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree (Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field preferred), OR
• Associate's degree with 10+ years of Lean/Continuous Improvement experience in a manufacturing environment may be considered in lieu of bachelor's degree.