Continuous Improvement Manager

LAPP Americas•Florham Park, NJ

39d•$135,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Quality Director, the Continuous Improvement Manager leads Lean improvement activities and process automation across the Americas. The role applies Lean principles to eliminate waste and standardize work, then uses digital tools, examples may be Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Microsoft Power Platform and Artificial Intelligence (AI), to automate and scale improved processes. Focus areas include Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity, Cost and Efficiency. Implement LEAN processes across all functions of the organization to facilitate improvements in overall customer satisfaction, while minimizing costs to Lapp.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Technology.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
5+ years of experience in similar role with proven record of lean culture implementation.
Excellent communication skills.
LEAN tool knowledge and experience (5S, SPC, VSM, Kaizen, SMED, “Design for Lean”, MDI, lean & Six Sigma tools, etc.).
Demonstrated experience delivering process automation using RPA (e.g., Power Automate Desktop, UiPath) and/or Microsoft Power Platform.
Ability to work with mathematical concepts, financial ratios, and business equations.
Ability to think analytically, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite 2019.
Hands-on experience is preferred with Microsoft Power Automate (cloud and desktop), Power Apps, Microsoft Lists, Microsoft Forms and Power BI, including Power Query.
Active listener, Conveys communication thoroughly- receptive and responsive.
Hands-on mentality, Take the Initiative, Work as part of a team sharing ideas and results.
High Emotional Intelligence, Assertive and Confident.
Flexible and adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands.
Project Management and Moderation experience.
Project planning and prioritization.
Demonstrates group facilitation, presents data effectively; Writes clearly and informatively.
Inspires and motivates others to perform well; positively influences the actions and opinions of others.
Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment.

Nice To Haves

Black Belt certification preferred.
PMP certified – preferred.
Preferred experience with RPA platforms AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, AI Builder, generative AI assistants).

Responsibilities

Identify Process Lean Initiatives and automation opportunities across all business units in Americas, in both office/transactional and operational processes.
Lead the prioritization of the Process Lean Initiatives and automation initiatives in collaboration with the management teams.
Process mapping, value stream mapping, identifying inefficiencies in productivity.
Deploy appropriate LEAN methodologies to guide teams to resolve process issues.
Lead the implementation of corrective actions based on Internal and External process failures. Lead the implementation of level 3 and level 4 processes in Americas region.
Support the business in establishing “LEAN Manufacturing Best Practices”.
Lead the Kaizen events throughout the business units.
Develop Internal Business Partners for implementation of Lapp Operating Systems- LOS workshops, LOS projects and LOS roadmaps.
Enhance the development of LOS knowledge, methods, principles, standards, culture and training.
Implement standard work, visual factory and error proofing (poka-yoke).
Utilize KPI’s to identify major quality issues contributors and lead the implementation of corrective actions.
Identify bottlenecks, deviations and potential for improvement and derive sustainable measures.
Support of internal business partners on the shop floor achieve measurable, continuous and sustainable improvements in effectiveness and efficiency.
Guide employees through operational change management and improvement process.
Establish a culture of Continuous Improvement.
Design, build and deploy automation solutions using RPA, Microsoft Power Platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, SharePoint/Microsoft Lists, Forms) and AI tools such as generative AI assistants and intelligent document processing.
Develop Power BI dashboards and KPI reporting to measure process performance and track the benefits of improvement and automation projects.