Director, Continuous Improvement

Howmet Aerospace • Cuyahoga Heights, OH

6d

About The Position

Howmet Engines is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement Director to drive implementation and sustained use of Lean principles, improve operational efficiency, and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the business segment. The role serves as a teacher, coach, and mentor to employees at all levels, building long-term adoption of continuous improvement practices. The Director partners with senior leadership to align initiatives with business objectives and deliver measurable improvements in productivity, capacity, and overall business-segment performance.

The position advances the Howmet Business System journey, supports site teams with assessment and gap-closure plans, and leads improvement initiatives and knowledge sharing across locations. It may involve support for other sites and travel up to 50%, including domestic and international travel. The role is subject to ITAR requirements and requires U.S. person status; employees must also be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in manufacturing environments in areas such as Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, or Operational Excellence.
• At least 7 years in leadership roles in Operations or Continuous Improvement.
• Previous experience in aerospace, automotive, or another manufacturing environment that requires significant Lean strategies to sustain improvements and support organizational success.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, including domestic and international travel.
• Strong working knowledge of continuous process improvement methodologies, including Lean and Six Sigma.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• U.S. person status as defined by ITAR: U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, political asylee, or refugee.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verification is required at hire. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from an accredited institution in Engineering or Supply Chain are highly desired.
• Project Management certification or earned certificate.
• Experience developing operations leadership development programs in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated manufacturing improvement experience, including Hoshin, flow principles, Jidoka, Kanban, 5S, and plan for every part (PFEP).
• Strong value stream mapping skills and experience with associated improvement methodologies.
• Understanding of Toyota Production System pillars, including JIT and Jidoka.
• Experience evaluating takt time versus cycle time and identifying work-area constraints, including cycle-time, periodic-work, and downtime constraints.
• Shop-floor experience working with employees and improving manufacturing processes.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to resolve conflicting interests and obtain cooperation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including using structured approaches to identify root causes and recommend resolutions.
• Demonstrated project leadership and project-management skills, including managing multiple projects simultaneously to meet objectives and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead the continued development and enhancement of the Howmet Business System journey, including accelerating the Lean Execution Systems Assessment process and supporting plant teams with gap-closure plans.
• Facilitate sustainable sharing of Howmet Business System best practices within and across locations through an electronic system that lets users search for common issues or problems.
• Lead Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvement deep dives with leaders and enable best-practice sharing.
• Lead implementation of continuous improvement initiatives and reduce waste using Lean principles and methods such as JIT, autonomation, value stream mapping, Kaizen, 5S, standard work, line and cell design, single-piece flow, material flow, visual management, SMED, TPM, and root-cause problem solving.
• Facilitate Hoshins, Kaizens, problem-solving sessions, and rapid-improvement events with internal personnel, consultants, customers, and suppliers as needed; support follow-through to sustain improvements.
• Analyze Profit and Loss statements to identify opportunities for cost reduction, revenue enhancement, and margin improvement.
• Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams on factory and shop-floor improvements, potentially including capital expenditure projects.
• Help team leaders develop skills and knowledge in meeting management, project management, improvement methods, results measurement, and problem solving.
• Monitor key performance indicators to track progress and measure the impact of improvement initiatives.
• Drive change-management efforts to implement and sustain process improvements.
• Identify and share best practices, lessons learned, and success stories to promote organizational learning.
• Coach and mentor employees across the organization to strengthen the continuous-improvement mindset.
• Participate in or lead other targeted initiatives or Kaizens as directed by the business unit and Segment Vice President.
• Support continuous-improvement work at other sites as needed, including training, project-based work, and best-practice support.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage, including FSA and HSA account options.
• Pre-tax and Roth 401(k) retirement savings plans with employer matching funds and a separate employer retirement contribution.
• Paid holidays and vacation time, subject to applicable policies.
• Paid parental leave and adoption assistance programs.
• Life insurance and disability coverage plans.
• Optional auto, home, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance coverage plans.
• Tuition Assistance Program and ongoing professional development opportunities.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

What This Job Offers

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