Continuous Improvement Manager

GTI Fabrication • Phoenix, AZ

4d

About The Position

The Continuous Improvement Manager is a senior, hands-on operations leader who drives improvement by value stream to raise performance in safety, quality, delivery, inventory, and productivity (SQDIP). The role deploys GTI's business system, model, and playbooks on the plant floor, including tiered daily management, 5S, layered process audits, value stream roadmaps, kaizen events, standard work, structured problem solving, and training.

The manager leads plant-wide improvement and accountability systems, breakthrough projects, material-flow and capacity improvements, problem-solving and quality initiatives, and validated savings reporting. The role also develops Continuous Improvement Specialists, coaches plant leaders and teams, and partners cross-functionally with operations, maintenance, quality, materials, EHS, Engineering, Finance, and GTI leadership. Travel to other GTI plants may be required as needed, about 10–20%.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of management experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, with direct reports and accountability for daily performance.
• At least 7 years of overall manufacturing experience, including a dedicated continuous improvement, lean, or operational excellence leadership role.
• Prior experience implementing site-level breakthrough continuous improvement projects.
• Prior experience reshaping a site's culture by driving daily accountability through 5S, a Tier Accountability Process, and Layered Process Audits.
• Experience deploying a formal business or operating system across a plant, including company playbooks, daily management, and VSM-based planning.
• Data fluency, including Excel, Power BI, savings models, and audit-ready documentation; ERP/MES familiarity with routings, BOMs, and work instructions.
• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, or Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Structured problem-solving experience, including A3/PDCA, 8D, and root cause analysis.
• Green Belt required.

Nice To Haves

• Lean or Six Sigma Black Belt.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Experience with metal fabrication, structural assembly, welding, or engineered-to-order manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Deploy GTI's business system, model, and playbooks across plant value streams in line with the VP of Continuous Improvement's annual priorities.
• Own the Tier Accountability Process, including SQDIP boards, tier 1 through tier 3 meeting standards, escalation paths, and visual management; coach value stream leaders in daily execution.
• Lead the plant's 5S program and Layered Process Audit system, establish standards, audit performance, and hold leaders accountable.
• Establish and audit standard work and leader standard work for supervisors and leads.
• Run the plant's CI maturity self-assessment and build and track the annual action plan to close identified gaps.
• Map each value stream's current and future state at least annually and own the value stream roadmap and resulting kaizen funnel.
• Lead site-level breakthrough improvement projects from charter through sustained results to improve throughput, cost, or quality.
• Plan and lead kaizen events focused on material flow, layout, labor efficiency, changeover, and quality, including charters, facilitation, action tracking, report-outs, and 30-, 60-, and 90-day sustainment checks.
• Improve lean material flow for steel, consumables, and kitted subassemblies using kanban, supermarkets, point-of-use storage, and WIP buffer targets.
• Lead capacity and line-balancing work for high-mix, engineered-to-order modules and support new line and program launches with lean design.
• Drive TPM and OEE improvement on critical cells, including cutting, welding, paint, and assembly, and address unplanned downtime with Maintenance.
• Set and coach GTI's problem-solving standard (A3, 8D, PSP) and lead root cause analysis on significant safety, quality, and delivery misses.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on poka-yoke, first-pass yield, and rework reduction.
• Integrate continuous improvement with EHS so safety is the first lens on every event and standard.
• Identify, quantify, and track validated savings in labor, material, rework, inventory, and throughput; obtain Finance sign-off and report into GTI's cost-out governance.
• Build and maintain plant CI dashboards in Power BI and keep ERP routings, BOMs, and work instructions aligned with improved processes.
• Report SQDIP trends, project status, and risks to the Plant Manager and VP of Continuous Improvement on a set cadence.
• Be visible on the floor daily, model standards, and coach supervisors and teams in the moment to promote daily accountability.
• Train and certify supervisors, leads, and CI Specialists in GTI's playbooks, including 5S, standard work, daily management, layered process audits, problem solving, VSM, and kaizen facilitation.
• Coach plant leaders on leading through the system and surface and remove organizational barriers that prevent improvements from holding or scaling.
• Drive adoption of new systems and behaviors through coaching, documentation, and clear communication, in English and Spanish where it helps the floor.
• Build, lead, and develop the plant's Continuous Improvement Specialists; set priorities and standards and own development plans for direct reports.
• Partner with the Plant Manager across operations, maintenance, quality, materials, and EHS to build cross-functional judgment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match, where applicable.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements.
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage.
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization.
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large-scale industrial projects.
• Collaborative, fast-paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership.
• Employee-focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior