Continuous Improvement and Safety Manager

Columbia Forest Products•Kitchener, ON

4d•CA$80,000 - CA$85,000•Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for overseeing daily production operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity targets. The manager will champion a safety-first culture, lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean tools, and develop supervisors and frontline team members. The position requires a strong commitment to safety leadership and experience in managing teams in a fast-paced production environment.

Requirements

3–5+ years of experience in manufacturing, production supervision, or operations management
Demonstrated commitment to safety leadership in an industrial environment
Experience leading teams in a fast-paced, production setting
Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills

Nice To Haves

Experience with Lean tools such as 5S, standard work, problem solving (A3/5-Why), and visual management systems.
Experience facilitating Kaizen events and improvement projects.
Experience supporting Daily Management Systems (DMS).

Responsibilities

Champion a safety-first culture by ensuring compliance with all safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Conduct regular safety audits, observations, and training to reinforce safe work practices.
Partner with supervisors and employees to proactively identify risks and eliminate hazards.
Oversee daily production operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity targets in coordination with the supervisor.
Monitor key performance metrics (e.g., output, downtime, quality, scrap) and take action to address gaps.
Drive consistency in work practices through adherence to standard work and operating procedures.
Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, and efficiency.
Apply Lean tools such as 5S, standard work, problem solving (A3/5-Why), and visual management systems.
Facilitate or participate in Kaizen events and improvement projects to optimize processes.
Support implementation and sustainment of Daily Management Systems (DMS) and performance tracking.
Engage directly with operators and teams on the shop floor (gemba) to identify and act on improvement opportunities.
Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline team members to strengthen performance and engagement.
Promote accountability, teamwork, and adherence to safety and production expectations.
Support training initiatives, including onboarding, job instruction, and skill development.
Foster a culture of continuous learning, feedback, and improvement.