Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience working in an aerospace, automotive, medical or related high-volume manufacturing environment with a least 5 years in a managerial role
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (or equivalent).
• Experience in fastening, aerospace, or precision manufacturing.

The position includes competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package available day one of hire, including health insurance (medical, dental, vision), excellent 401k matching program, paid holidays and vacation. Howmet Aerospace curates a strong working environment through opportunities for career progression, community engagement activities, and flexible schedules contingent upon role and location. The salary range for this position is $170k-$210k.

Join our Howmet Fastening Team! Howmet Aerospace has an exciting opportunity for a Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement in our Brea, CA location.

This role will directly manage a team of 2-3 Continuous Improvement Engineers and will be accountable for driving lean‑manufacturing excellence, safety, quality, delivery, and cost across all production lines.

You will lead continuous improvement efforts and guide a team in applying Howmet Business System (HBS) methods to improve throughput, productivity, cost efficiency, and delivery performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership:

• Directly supervise and mentor a cross‑functional improvement team.
• Set quarterly goals, conduct performance reviews, and develop career paths.
• Foster a high‑performance culture of accountability and ownership

Lean Manufacturing Execution:

• Own the implementation of Kaizen, Value‑Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, and SMED across all lines.
• Lead continuous improvement projects that target 10-15 % waste reduction per year.
• Champion the use of digital tools (e.g., Minitab, LeanKit) for real‑time KPI tracking.

Strategic Planning:

• Translate plant and corporate objectives into measurable improvement roadmaps.
• Align improvement initiatives with safety, quality, and cost targets.
• Provide quarterly status reports to senior leadership.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to identify bottlenecks.
• Facilitate cross‑functional improvement workshops and Kaizen events.
• Act as the primary liaison for external Lean consultants and auditors

Performance Measurement:

• Design, maintain, and refine dashboards for SQDC metrics.
• Own the root‑cause process (A3, 8D, 5‑Whys) and ensure corrective actions are closed on time.
• Conduct variance programs for Lean tools and Six‑Sigma methodologies.

Mentor leaders and frontline teams to embed a culture of continuous improvement.

• Conduct "train‑the‑trainer" sessions to scale knowledge.

Safety & Compliance:

• Integrate safety metrics into all improvement projects.
• Ensure all Lean initiatives comply with OSHA, EPA, and company safety standards.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through regular audits and feedback loops.