IWS Manager

Perfetti Van Melle•Erlanger, KY

13d

About The Position

Perfetti Van Melle (makers of Mentos, Airheads, Dentyne, Trident and Bubblicious!) is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of confectionery and chewing gum with global brands that are being enjoyed in more than 150 countries worldwide. We’re currently seeking a passionate and enthusiastic IWS Manager to join our growing team. The IWS/CI Manager serves as the strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing the site's IWS phase journey and Continuous Improvement initiatives. This role integrates system‑building responsibilities with hands‑on execution to deliver breakthrough performance in safety, quality, productivity, cost, delivery, and morale.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or relevant field required.
Strong analytical and problem‑ solving capabilities
7-12 years in food, pharma, consumer goods or similar regulated manufacturing
Experience with high-speed packaging, complex processing or multi-line operations
Led lean six sigma, TPM, or IWS deployment at a plant or multiline level
Experience running Kaizen, SMED, 5S, Kanban and RCA methodologies
Understanding of end‑ to ‑ end supply chain processes
Ability to communicate effectively across supply, commercial, and logistics teams
Detail‑ oriented with a continuous improvement mindset
Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI, etc.)
Led cross-functional CI projects tied to COGS, yield, waste, labour productivity or equipment utilization
Experience coordinating engineering , maintenance and operations on improvements
Master 2-3 TPM pillars and overall knowledgeable of all pillars and program phases
Understand the integration of the TPM pillars by phases
Master RTT and its DMS, especially DDS
Master the phases of the program
Master what loses Pillars capabilities can eliminate
Relationship building, collaboration, influencing, and program management skills
Coaching and development skills

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Overall Coordinator of IWS implementation – Drives IWS circle of success
Lead the master plan Development
Masterplan remains on track
Pillars are in place, healthy and properly integrated
Coordinate workshop and trainings
Drive the implementation – be a champion
Coordinate annual Loss Analysis – establish the base line
Develop and align goals and milestones with the plant manager
Looks ahead 6 to 18 months and anticipate capability development – needs
Have a PDCA in place
Makes issues & problems of the implementation visible for leaders
Daily consultant to: Site Leader, Pillar owners, ODM's-Tio, Teams and individuals
IWS Promotion, Communication & Education
Ensure systems are in place to drive reapplication and one common standard
Works closely with the IWS regional manager to get best possible coaching
Develop the agenda for consultations visit and external audits
Benchmark and reapply implementation on companywide sites
Drives the data management systems, from the acquisition all the way to the decision making to ensure actions are driven by data
Drives the 5's program for the site with the support of the value stream leaders
Drives the statistical process control for the value streams with the support of the process engineer.
Ensure progress on the RTTs and corresponding DMS;s scheduled as per site Master Plan