Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement

Panasonic•Sparks, NV

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This role serves as a subject matter expert in the PECNA Production System (PPS) methodology for the corporation and leads improvement projects utilizing the Lean Six Sigma skillset. The candidate will be responsible for working with internal business partners and LSS Black Belts/I.Es to drive productivity improvement throughout the corporation. The role involves leading the business in achieving and sustaining operational excellence through teaching, coaching, and deployment of the PECNA Production System. It also serves as a facilitator of continuous improvement implementation and a functional colleague to create and sustain culture change to achieve long-term business strategies and a systems thinking approach. The focus areas are People (developing self-sustaining teams), Process (driving standard practices and reducing inefficiencies), and Performance (delivering tangible results impacting SQCDP goals).

Requirements

Accredited Black Belt.
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or relevant Engineering discipline.
Proven track record in operational roles in a Production/Manufacturing environment.
Minimum of 6+ years of Operational excellence/continuous improvement experience with 2+ years as a full time Black Belt/Lean practitioner or Industrial Engineering.
Ability to lead and drive organizational and systematic change.
Knowledge and experience with quality concepts and tools such as value stream mapping, business process re-design, kaizen, continuous improvement, lean thinking, cycle time reduction, etc.
Lean Manufacturing knowledge required and ability to implement lean manufacturing tools and methodologies I.E. FMEA (Failure Mode Effects Analysis), Kaizen/A3 (continuous improvement and problem solving) Process mapping, value stream mapping, and Poka Yoke (error proofing) techniques.
Strong technical background, including high volume manufacturing environment and project management skills.
Competent in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio and Minitab (or other similar software).
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Ability to learn and understand complex equipment capabilities, operation/material flow, and data flow.
Ability to successfully manage multiple projects.
Must be Black Belt Certified and actively training towards an officially recognized MBB certification.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Engineering or a related field.
Implementation/Management of Production System I.E: Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Toyota Production System (TPS).

Responsibilities

Manage projects with average savings of $250k per black/ green belt, coaching concurrently 4+ projects of this magnitude.
Deliver 1 significant project of $500k plus as a project lead, often complex and involving multiple functional areas or business units, typically ranging from three to six months.
Coordinate with Snr Director of OpEx and Leadership Team to identify and prioritize targeted areas of opportunity across the corporation through the Hoshin process.
Facilitate value stream mapping, kaizen, continuous improvement, lean thinking, cycle time reduction, SMED activities, etc., to simplify and perfect targeted areas.
Provide PPS training (YB, RCA A3, GB, BB, etc.) and leadership of kaizen events across all levels of the organization.
Maintain detailed records of all PPS projects.
Motivate and direct cross-functional teams to desired results through skillful application of the PPS/LSS methodology.
Train and Mentor Black Belts/ Green Belts and Sponsors in their application of Lean and Six Sigma tools, techniques, and principles.
Facilitate kaizen events for problem solving and continuous process improvement.
Strive to become Master Black belt, responsible for leading aspects of the Continuous Improvement Program.
Train a small core of employees as Green Belts/Black Belts to help support the MBBd with improvement projects.
Work with various teams to plan and schedule projects to address cost and schedule drivers on programs with the goal of driving Realized Cost and Schedule Savings.
Analyze, organize, plan, and prioritize assignments/tasks to achieve positive results.
Effectively interact with a broad spectrum of people to successfully support operations, customer requirements, and the corporate strategic vision.
Participate as a strategic thought partner with workstream / business leadership teams.
Align overall productivity project pipeline with annual financial plan and leadership objectives.
Ensure workstream / functional areas are resourced in alignment with their expected annual business and financial contribution.
Assess workstreams to develop gap analysis and plan to close the gaps (e.g., resource management, training needs, process gaps).
Provide support for Black Belts, Green Belts, and operational SME leads to ensure principles of PPS & Lean Six Sigma are understood, utilized, and implemented in project work.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision, prescription plans
Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options
Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance
401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting
Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave
Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service
Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources
Employee Recognition Program - High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
Annual performance-based bonus
On-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events