Manager, Continuous Improvement

Cornerstone Building Brands•Auburn, WA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Continuous Improvement leads the development, deployment, and sustainment of Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the windows and doors manufacturing facility. This role drives operational excellence through structured problem‑solving, Kaizen events, process optimization, and capability building. The Manager oversees a Continuous Improvement Technician and partners closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, and Engineering to deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Technology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 3 years in Continuous Improvement or Lean leadership.
Demonstrated success leading Kaizen events and cross‑functional improvement projects.
Strong knowledge of Lean tools, problem‑solving methodologies, and process mapping.
Experience supervising or mentoring team members.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and change‑management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in windows, doors, or building products manufacturing.
Lean certification (Lean Practitioner, Lean Leader, or equivalent).
Six Sigma Green Belt or higher.
Proficiency with data analysis tools (Excel, Minitab, Power BI).
Experience implementing standard work, visual management, and daily management systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the plant’s Lean transformation roadmap and ensure alignment with Cornerstone Building Brands’ enterprise CI strategy.
Champion a culture of waste elimination, standardization, and employee engagement at all levels.
Supervise, coach, and develop direct reports, ensuring strong execution of CI activities and data analysis.
Facilitate cross‑functional alignment on improvement priorities.
Plan, lead, and follow through on Kaizen events focused on throughput, changeover reduction, scrap reduction, ergonomics, and material flow.
Conduct value stream mapping, time studies, and root‑cause analysis to identify improvement opportunities.
Manage CI project pipelines, charters, timelines, and financial impact tracking.
Ensure sustainability of improvements through standard work, visual management, and layered process audits.
Deploy Lean tools such as 5S, Kanban, TPM, and Gemba walks.
Support process capability improvements using basic Six Sigma tools, SPC, and data‑driven decision‑making.
Partner with Engineering and Maintenance to optimize equipment performance and reduce downtime.
Deliver hands‑on training in Lean fundamentals, problem‑solving, and CI tools to hourly and salaried employees.
Coach supervisors and team leads on daily management systems and continuous improvement behaviors.
Build a strong pipeline of CI practitioners within the plant.
Track and report CI performance metrics, including cost savings, productivity gains, scrap reduction, and safety improvements.
Present progress and results to plant leadership and corporate CI teams.