Senior Manager – Continuous Improvement (ISU) Grade - 4L

Kone México; Chennai District; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 5,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression opportunities

Learning & development programs

Global exposure

Collaborative culture

Job summary

KONE in Chennai, India is seeking a Senior Manager – Continuous Improvement to lead the organization’s continuous improvement and operational excellence across Engineering and Supply Chain. You will drive productivity, process optimization, quality improvement, and cost reduction while partnering with frontline teams.

The successful candidate will deploy Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Value Stream Mapping, establish KPIs, coach teams, and steer cross-functional projects from idea through

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 to 18 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Engineering, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain functions.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, and Root Cause Analysis methodologies.
• Proven track record of leading business transformation and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Experience in the Elevator industry or a similar engineering/manufacturing environment is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Continuous Improvement roadmap across Engineering and Supply Chain functions.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Operational Excellence initiatives to improve efficiency and performance.
• Identify opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce lead times, improve quality, and enhance productivity.
• Facilitate value stream mapping, process assessments, and root cause analysis to resolve operational challenges.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure improvement impact.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects from identification through implementation and sustainment.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, problem-solving, and accountability throughout the organization.
• Collaborate with Frontline, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams to align improvement priorities.
• Support digitalization, automation, and process transformation initiatives.
• Develop and coach teams on continuous improvement methodologies and best practices.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Value Stream Mapping

Root Cause Analysis

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field

Job description

Did you know KONE moves over one billion people every day? We employ over 60,000 professionals in over 60 countries worldwide joined together by a shared vision to ‘Deliver the best people flow experience’. As a global leader, we provide elevators, escalators, automatic building doors as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their lifecycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings.

Job Title – Senior Manager – Continuous Improvement (ISU) Job Location – Chennai, India Reports to – Head Strategy and Development

Purpose of the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and results-oriented Senior Manager – Continuous Improvement to lead our continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives across the Elevator Supply Chain organization. This role will be responsible for driving productivity, process optimization, quality improvement, cost reduction, and business transformation initiatives. The ideal candidate will partner closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Frontline teams to implement sustainable improvements that enhance customer satisfaction and business performance.

Qualifications

Are you the One? Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field. Minimum 15 to 18 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Engineering, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain functions. Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, and Root Cause Analysis methodologies. Proven track record of leading business transformation and productivity improvement initiatives. Experience in the Elevator industry or a similar engineering/manufacturing environment is highly desirable. Strong analytical, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.

What will you be doing?

Lead the Continuous Improvement roadmap across Engineering and Supply Chain functions. Drive Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Operational Excellence initiatives to improve efficiency and performance. Identify opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce lead times, improve quality, and enhance productivity. Facilitate value stream mapping, process assessments, and root cause analysis to resolve operational challenges. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure improvement impact. Lead cross-functional improvement projects from identification through implementation and sustainment. Drive a culture of continuous improvement, problem-solving, and accountability throughout the organization. Collaborate with Frontline, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams to align improvement priorities. Support digitalization, automation, and process transformation initiatives. Develop and coach teams on continuous improvement methodologies and best practices.

What do we offer?

Career progression and opportunities within a global organization Total reward elements that engage and motivate our employees and help us make KONE a great place to work Comprehensive learning and development programs covering a wide range of professional skills You are surrounded by fun colleagues and a lively working environment within Business Services team and KONE Front Line. The best part is all leaders are great and open-minded

At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual.

Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas.

Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice.

We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized.

In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.

Read more on https://kone.com/global/en/careers.html

At KONE, our purpose is to shape the future of cities. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, we move two billion people every day, making their journeys safe, convenient, and reliable with smart and sustainable People Flow®. In 2025, KONE had annual sales of EUR 11.2 billion, and at the end of the year over 60,000 employees in close to 70 countries. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.