Director, Continuous Improvement

Pursuit Aerospace • Thomasville, GA

2d • Remote

About The Position

We are seeking a Director, Kaizen Promotion Office (KPO), a central function leading kaizen and lean manufacturing across manufacturing sites. The Director, KPO position reports directly to the VP of Manufacturing Support and indirectly to the Executive Vice President and is responsible for leading and supporting Kaizen and lean manufacturing functions at sites in Cleveland, Ohio, Thomasville, Georgia, Whitesboro, New York, Chicago, Illinois, Tunisia, and the UK.

Location: Remote, 40-60% travel, including international travel

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field and 4+ years of experience supporting kaizen, lean, and continuous improvement  – OR – in lieu of degree 8+ years of experience supporting kaizen, lean, and continuous improvement
• 5+ years of experience managing direct reports
• 5+ years of experience being a senior practitioner of lean manufacturing and kaizen.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis without sponsorship now or in the future. The Company cannot offer employment to visa holders who require employer sponsorship in the future or cannot work now on a full-time basis.
• Must be able to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations.

Nice To Haves

• Aerospace manufacturing experience.
• Direct mentorship under world recognized kaizen/lean consultants.
• Japan Super Genba Training License from Shingijutsu is a plus.
• Experience managing multiple sites.
• Ability to influence and drive continuous improvement culture.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and team building skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading teams to design right-sized equipment focused on achieving one-piece flow.
• Ability to navigate task sets and drive solutions in a matrixed environment.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• High sense of urgency and ability to meet deadlines.
• Candidate resides within one hour commuting distance to one of the sites within the division.

Responsibilities

• Leading an organization focused on kaizen, lean, and continuous improvement, with an underlying focus of making employees’ lives better.
• Leading a team of KPO site leaders (and their direct reports) focused on fully leveraging the Pursuit Production System (PPS), including but not limited to leader standard work, daily management, visual controls and problem solving
• Planning and executing the success of Hoshin Kanri, Policy Deployment projects and Kaizen workshops through relentless follow-up 
• Developing local champions of lean thinking through mentorship
• Cultivating and evolving our relationship with and utilization of external kaizen consultants.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Pursuit Aerospace also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements, among other things.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees