Director, Lean and Transformation

COLE-PARMER INSTRUMENT COMPANY•Vernon Hills, IL

27d•$160,000 - $185,000•Onsite

About The Position

Drives Cole-Parmer’s transformation efforts by implementing Lean principles to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. et strategic goals, oversee the deployment of Lean methodologies like Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping, and coach teams across all levels of the organization.

Requirements

Significant experience (10-15+ years) in manufacturing or relevant industry with several years in a leadership role driving Lean initiatives across multi-site or multi-department operations.
Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt, Practical Process Improvement (PPI) or equivalent certification
Demonstrated project management experience
Excellent interpersonal communication skills with internal and external customers.
Thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, efficiently works under pressure, within deadlines or other time-essential constraints
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to clearly and concisely communicate to all levels of the organization
Strong work ethic and an ability to excel within a rapidly changing and growing organization

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field. A master's degree or MBA preferred

Responsibilities

Lead large scale productivity, automation and site transformation efforts alongside site leaders and track financial benefits in line with company reporting standards.
Drive Lean Leadership principles throughout organization, coaching site leadership on key principles on Leader Standard Work (LSW), Visual Management, Gemba Walks, Daily Accountability and 5S.
Act as the company’s advocate for continuous improvement across the manufacturing sites, building business cases for large scale efforts and gaining consensus with IT, Finance and other key stakeholders
Lead projects and events (such as Kaizen events) to analyze workflows, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements.
Coach site leaders and their managers on improvement activities, problem solving methodology, completion of action plans and accountability measures
Partner with various departments (operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, etc.) to align improvement initiatives with core business outcomes and ensure consistent buy-in
Define, track, and act on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as productivity, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), and scrap rates to ensure measurable results.