Continuous Improvement Manager

Danfoss; Cleveland (TN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus system

Paid vacation

Retirement plan

Flexible working hours

Personal insurance

Employee Resource Groups

State of the art virtual work env.

Employee Referral Program

Job summary

Danfoss is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead lean manufacturing and CI initiatives at our liquid-cooling facility. You will drive productivity, reduce waste, standardize processes, and empower teams with data-driven problem-solving.

You will build CI capabilities across manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering and business operations while delivering measurable business results and sustaining improvements over time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, supply chain, business or related field is required.
• Experience leading continuous improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives.
• Proven track record of cross-functional improvement projects with measurable results.
• Strong leadership, facilitation and change-management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement strategy, lean roadmap, and improvement portfolio.
• Drive implementation of lean tools such as daily management, 5S, VSM, and problem-solving processes.
• Identify and execute opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Facilitate kaizen events and training to build CI capabilities across the organization.
• Coach leaders on CI principles and sustainment of improvements.
• Track results, validate benefits, and ensure long-term sustainment.
• Partner with Finance to measure productivity gains and cost savings.
• Support growth and operational readiness by removing bottlenecks and improving workflows.
• Develop CI capabilities at all levels through coaching and mentorship.
• Establish sustainment processes, audits, and leader standard work.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve processes across functions.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Operational excellence

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Facilitation

Change management

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

The Impact You'll Make

Danfoss is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead the deployment of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives at our liquid-cooling manufacturing and distribution facility. This role is responsible for building a culture of operational excellence by driving productivity improvements, eliminating waste, standardizing processes, and helping teams solve problems using data-driven methods.

The right person will create sustainable improvements across manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, and business operations while developing employees' continuous improvement capabilities and delivering measurable business results.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the site's continuous improvement strategy, lean roadmap, productivity initiatives, and improvement project portfolio.
• Drive implementation of lean tools and methodologies including daily management, standard work, visual management, 5S, value stream mapping, and problem-solving processes.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute improvement opportunities that enhance safety, quality, delivery performance, productivity, cost, and customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate kaizen events and improvement workshops focused on process efficiency, material flow, quality improvements, changeover reduction, and waste elimination.
• Coach leaders and teams on continuous improvement principles, root cause analysis, process observation, and sustainable problem-solving practices.
• Track project results, validate improvement benefits, and ensure successful implementation and long-term sustainment of improvements.
• Partner with Finance to measure and validate productivity gains, cost savings, inventory improvements, labor efficiencies, and other business benefits.
• Support manufacturing growth and operational readiness by identifying bottlenecks, process constraints, training needs, and workflow improvements.
• Develop continuous improvement capabilities across all levels of the organization through coaching, training, and mentorship.
• Establish sustainment processes, audits, and leader standard work to ensure improvements remain effective over time.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, administrative, and support processes.
• Promote a culture where continuous improvement is part of daily operations and ownership is driven by the teams closest to the work.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
• Experience leading continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, operational excellence, industrial engineering, or manufacturing operations initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience driving cross-functional improvement projects and achieving measurable business results.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, and change management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• Lean, Six Sigma, DBS, or other continuous improvement certifications.
• Experience facilitating kaizen events, value stream mapping workshops, and productivity improvement programs.
• Experience in manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, or industrial operations environments.

Job Criteria

• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement methodologies, and operational excellence tools.
• Experience implementing daily management systems, standard work, visual management, 5S, value stream mapping, and problem-solving processes.
• Ability to analyze operational metrics including productivity, inventory, lead time, quality performance, downtime, and cost improvement opportunities.
• Experience developing improvement roadmaps, managing project pipelines, and tracking financial and operational benefits.
• Strong coaching and facilitation skills with the ability to influence leaders and employees at all organizational levels.
• Ability to partner effectively with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, and EHS teams.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and project management skills with a passion for building a culture of continuous improvement.

What You'll Get From Us

At Danfoss, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters creativity, innovation, and a broader perspective in decision-making. When you consider this job posting, do you feel like your profile is not a perfect match? Numerous studies have found that women and people of color are more likely to apply only when they meet all requirements listed in the job posting. Even if you do not check all the boxes, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are curious to find out how you can bring new insights to the role or to Danfoss as an organization.

• Bonus system
• Paid vacation
• Retirement plan
• Flexible working hours
• Personal insurance
• Opportunity to join Employee Resource Groups
• State of the art virtual work environment
• Employee Referral Program

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category.