Continuous Improvement Leader

Axalta; Front Royal (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Axalta seeks a Continuous Improvement Leader in Front Royal, VA to drive operational excellence using Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen. Lead cross-functional teams, develop ROI proposals, and implement best-practice processes to boost capacity, quality, and safety.

You will mentor teams on Six Sigma methods and report progress to senior leadership on a regular basis. The role requires a strong financial/analytical background, 10+ years in operations leadership, and a collaborative management style to

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in engineering, chemistry or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years in progressive operations leadership with focus on operational excellence.
• Experience applying lean manufacturing, kaizen, Six Sigma tools across products and processes.

Responsibilities

• Leads improvement initiatives to eliminate waste and non-value-added work using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and problem solving.
• Supports development and validation of new capacity and processes.
• Develops ROI-based proposals for special projects and secures approvals.
• Facilitates cross-functional expert teams to drive Best-in-Class performance in People, Quality, Material Flow, Inventory, and Cost.
• Provides basic Six Sigma training and applies Six Sigma tools to measure, analyze, improve, and control processes.
• Reports progress to Champions and leadership monthly; tracks performance to meet quality and savings goals.
• Partners with leaders to identify process-improvement opportunities and implement lean strategies.
• Gathers data, analyzes KPIs, and observes at shop floor (Gemba) to drive productivity and safety.

Skills

Lean & Six Sigma mastery

Kaizen

Problem solving

ROI analysis

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Gemba

Financial analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry or related field

Job description

## Continuous Improvement LeaderApply: Front Royal: Full time: Posted Today: 2026-19723Axalta 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**.**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.* Facilitate 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 inquire 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 productions 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 environmentAxalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, 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.The expected compensation range for this position is $120,000 - $150,000 USD annually.**Our Company:** 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 colorful 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.Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, 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. Axalta may use technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support certain aspects of the recruitment and selection process. These tools may be used to help manage applications, identify job-related qualifications, and assist recruiter review. All hiring decisions involve human oversight and review. **Recruitment Fraud Alert**: We take candidate safety seriously. If you believe you’ve encountered a fraudulent job posting claiming to represent our company, please include a link or screenshot and report it to [e-mail]. 2 - Professionals (EEO-1 Job Categories-United States of America) We consider an individual’s qualifications, skillset, and experience to determine final salary. This role is eligible for benefits such as health insurance and paid time off. 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.