Continuous Improvement Leader

8797 ACS U.S.A., LLC; Front Royal (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Axalta is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader for its Front Royal, VA facility to drive Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen initiatives. You will lead cross-functional teams, identify improvements in safety, quality, capacity and productivity, and develop ROI-based proposals for key projects.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s in engineering or chemistry with 10 years of progressive ops leadership and strong financial acumen. On-site role with competitive compensation and benefits.

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in progressive operations leadership roles with a focus on operational excellence.
• Working knowledge of Lean/Six Sigma tools and Kaizen methodology across products.
• Ability to balance strategic and hands-on requirements and drive transformational change.

Responsibilities

• Leads improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and problem solving.
• Supports development and validation of new capacity and processes.
• Develops ROI-focused proposals for special projects.
• Facilitates cross-functional teams to improve People, Quality, Material Flow, Inventory and Cost.
• Provides basic Six Sigma training to project teams.
• Reports progress to leadership monthly and tracks milestones.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Problem solving

ROI analysis

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, chemistry or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Axalta has remained at the forefront of the coatings industry by continually investing in innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customers’ products – whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colourful finishes. We have a vast and ever‑evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles. We are currently looking for a Continuous Improvement Leader to join us at our facility in Front Royal, VA.

Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refine, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia‑Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions in over 140+ countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability initiatives, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads improvement initiatives to eliminate waste and non‑value‑added work utilizing standard practices such as Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and logical problem solving.
• Supports the development and validation of new capacity and processes.
• Develops proposals that include return on investment (ROI), benefits and alternatives for special projects.
• Facilitates cross‑functional expert teams to drive breakthrough or Best‑in‑Class performance in People, Quality, Material Flow, Inventory, and Cost.
• Identifies key individuals for team membership and secures their approval to become team members to foster change.
• Provides basic Six Sigma training to project team members.
• Applies Six Sigma tools and techniques to measure, analyze, improve, and control project processes.
• Reports on project progress to Champion and other appropriate leadership levels at least on a monthly basis.
• Prepares detailed plans to track project performance and assure timely completion and achievement of quality and savings goals.
• Identifies barriers to project success and solicits help from champions when needed.
• Demonstrates project management proficiency by defining project requirements and project milestones, tracking progress, resolving problems, communicating progress, and recommending / executing actions.
• Partners with organizational leaders and others to identify areas of process improvement and recommends solutions through the lens of lean thinking.
• Analyzes processes and procedures to identify and develop strategies to improve safety, quality, increase capacity and improve productivity.
• Willingness to directly observe and inquiry at the shop floor level, where value is created - Gemba.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, chemistry or related field; (Master’s degree preferred)
• 10 years of experience in progressive operations leadership roles with a focus on operational excellence.
• Working knowledge of multiple operations disciplines (i.e., operations, quality systems, EHS&S, Lean/Six Sigma tools, etc.) amongst products, including experience applying or implementing lean manufacturing, kaizen methodology and production systems.
• Ability to balance strategic and hands‑on requirements of the role with a flexible and collaborative management style.
• Must be a change agent with a record of accomplishments focusing on driving transformational change.
• Strong financial and analytical skills; must be able to develop and implement a strategy to maximize productivity and profitability.
• Ability to work across the network with strong influencing skills to achieve desired results without direct reporting responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience in gathering and analyzing business data and key performance indicators for senior level leadership teams.
• Flexible and adaptable to demanding and fast‑paced work environment.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected compensation range for this position is $120,000 - $150,000 USD annually.

This role is eligible for benefits such as health insurance and paid time off.

We consider an individual’s qualifications, skillset, and experience to determine final salary.

The actual offer will be at the company’s sole discretion and determined by relevant business considerations, including the final candidate’s qualifications, years of experience, skillset, and geographic location.

This is an active opening for which we are recruiting to fill immediately.