Continuous Improvement Manager

GTI Fabrication • Phoenix, AZ

3d

About The Position

The Continuous Improvement Manager is a senior, hands-on operations leader responsible for improving safety, quality, delivery, inventory, and productivity across plant value streams. The role deploys GTI’s business system, model, and playbooks on the manufacturing floor, including tiered daily management, 5S, layered process audits, value-stream roadmaps, kaizen events, standard work, structured problem solving, and related training.

The manager leads plant-wide improvement initiatives and breakthrough projects, establishes accountability and reporting practices, and partners across operations, maintenance, quality, materials, engineering, and EHS. The role also develops Continuous Improvement Specialists and coaches plant leaders and teams to sustain and scale improved processes and behaviors.

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 through daily accountability and implementation of 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; familiarity with ERP/MES, including 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 skills, including A3/PDCA, 8D, and root-cause analysis.
• Lean or Six Sigma 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.
• Ability to travel to other GTI plants as needed, approximately 10–20%.

Responsibilities

• Deploy GTI’s business system, model, and playbooks across plant value streams in alignment 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 CI maturity self-assessment and build and track the annual action plan to close gaps.
• Map current and future states for each value stream at least annually; own value-stream roadmaps and the 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 addressing 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 methods such as 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, including A3, 8D, and PSP; lead root-cause analysis for significant safety, quality, and delivery misses.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on poka-yoke, first-pass yield, and rework reduction.
• Integrate CI with EHS so safety is the first lens in every event and standard.
• Identify, quantify, and track validated savings in labor, material, rework, inventory, and throughput; secure Finance sign-off and report savings into 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.
• Promote daily accountability through a visible floor presence, role modeling, and in-the-moment coaching of supervisors and teams.
• Train and certify supervisors, leads, and CI Specialists in GTI 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 to sustaining or scaling improvements.
• Drive adoption of new systems and behaviors through coaching, documentation, and clear communication, in English and Spanish where helpful on the floor.
• Build, lead, and develop the plant’s Continuous Improvement Specialists; set priorities and standards and maintain development plans for direct reports.
• Partner with the Plant Manager across operations, maintenance, quality, materials, and EHS to develop 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