Lean Leader

ABEC Inc•Springfield, MO

About The Position

The Lean Leader is responsible for driving operational excellence and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. This role leads Lean Manufacturing initiatives, Kaizen events, waste reduction programs, and process optimization efforts to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. The Lean Leader partners with manufacturing, engineering, quality, supply chain, and support functions to implement sustainable improvements that enhance business performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field preferred.
5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement.
Proven experience implementing Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
Experience leading Kaizen events and cross-functional improvement projects.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required; Black Belt preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the deployment of Lean Manufacturing principles throughout the organization.
Champion continuous improvement activities aligned with strategic business objectives.
Promote a culture of problem solving, accountability, and employee engagement.
Develop and maintain site Lean roadmaps and improvement priorities.
Identify opportunities to eliminate waste and improve process flow.
Facilitate Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Workshops, and Value Stream Mapping activities.
Lead root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies.
Drive implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
Improve productivity, efficiency, throughput, and quality performance.
Establish and maintain standard work practices.
Implement visual management systems and performance dashboards.
Support workplace organization through 5S initiatives.
Develop and track KPIs to measure operational performance.
Analyze manufacturing and business data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
Monitor savings, productivity gains, and project effectiveness.
Report progress to leadership teams and stakeholders.
Train employees and leaders in Lean principles and tools.
Coach supervisors and managers on problem solving and continuous improvement techniques.
Build internal Lean capabilities throughout the organization.
Mentor improvement project leaders and Kaizen facilitators.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Project Management teams.
Support new process implementation and operational readiness activities.
Ensure Lean principles are incorporated into facility layouts, workflows, and new product introductions.
Share best practices across departments and sites.