Continuous Improvement Manager

Mettler-Toledo, Inc.; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Employee wellness programs

Parental and caregiver leave

Paid time off

Life insurance

Job summary

METTLER TOLEDO is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead Lean-based initiatives across a single facility. You will guide 5S, Kaizen events, and CI projects, mentoring champions and coordinating cross-functional teams to improve quality, delivery, and cost performance.

The role reports to the Head of Operations and partners with regional leadership to align CI with enterprise strategy. You will develop and sustain a CI network, manage CIP plans, and drive value stream improvements

Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Formal or informal leadership experience with initiative and driving change.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to influence without formal authority across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead CI projects using Lean to drive plant improvements.
• Serve as CI leader across departments and shifts.
• Coach Kaizen event champions and develop CI resources.
• Align CI priorities with operational goals and CIP.
• Lead 5S and Visual Management initiatives per company goals.
• Drive end-to-end Value Stream Mapping and Kanban implementation.
• Support safety culture and sustain CI initiatives on the production floor.
• Influence across leadership to sustain improvements and performance.

Skills

Lean leadership

Continuous Improvement

Value Stream Mapping

Kaizen events

Root Cause Analysis

Team leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

5S

Kanban

Gemba walks

Job description

Our Opening and Your Responsibilities

This Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for leading continuous improvement projects using Lean methodology to drive key activities and achieve production area improvements throughout the plant. This role attains operational results using Lean manufacturing tools including 5S, Kaizen, 8 Wastes, Value Stream Mapping, Visual Management, Standard Work, and Root Cause Analysis. Additionally, this role leverages systematic problem-solving techniques to improve quality, delivery, and cost performance, and drives a continuous improvement culture across the organization.

Beyond project execution, this role serves as the facility's CI leader - providing cross-functional leadership and guidance across all departments and shifts. Responsibilities include coaching and mentoring Kaizen event champions, building and developing a CI team/network of site-level improvement resources, and partnering with the plant leadership team to align CI priorities with broader operational goals. This is a single-facility role, but one expected to have plant-wide reach and influence, acting as the site's primary driver of CI adoption and sustainment.

This role reports to the Head of Operations, with a dotted-line relationship to the Head of North America and to SternDrive, the organization's overall Continuous Improvement program - ensuring site-level initiatives stay aligned with North America and enterprise-wide CI strategy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Enhance facility performance through proactive actions relating to:
• Leadership & Culture:
• Build working relationships with plant management and production teams.
• Serve as an action-oriented leader for the production team, mentoring and motivating team members to positively impact facility performance.
• Lead by example and actively engage in CI initiatives using the 'I Do, We Do, You Do' philosophy to drive sustainable results.
• Act as a communications hub for the team, disseminating pertinent and timely information related to improvement efforts.
• Support and reinforce the facility's safety culture, partnering with the Safety team to sustain safe work practices on the production floor. Continuously review culture for growth and alignment with CI/5S objectives and provide feedback to management.
• Seek out opportunities to improve team member knowledge base.
• Lean Execution & CI Program Management
• Be hands-on with the team to ensure initiatives are completed on time.
• Help sustain program gains and move them forward by helping others work through obstacles to 5S. Record and promote documentation of production indicators and abnormalities on Hour-by-Hour boards, SQDC boards, and daily Gemba walks.
• Manage projects directly linked to improvement of primary KPI goals.
• Lead the production team in 5S and Visual Management initiatives in accordance with company goals.
• Work with the supervisory group to monitor production consistency and effectiveness of implementations to sustain CI/5S standards. Develop and execute implementation of internal and external Kanban to drive efficiencies in material movement and productivity.
• Drive end-to-end Value Stream Mapping to identify kaizen bursts and deliver on the Future State VSM. Drive CI-Lean self-assessments to identify opportunities and develop a Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) to demonstrate progress.
• Act as a Change Agent: provide support for SQDC, 5S, lead small production team improvement initiatives, support CI leaders' project implementations, and support any other lean project related to manufacturing. SternDrive & Organizational Alignment Manage and lead SternDrive initiatives to drive Shop Floor Productivity, Material Cost Reductions, Back Office Productivity, and other foundational program areas.
• Assist the Operations Manager in developing and executing the Operations plan to support SternDrive and growth in MTPA (Mettler Toledo Plant Assessment) criteria.
• Represent MTMS in best-practice sharing across manufacturing during Regional Experience Sharing conferences.

What You Need to Succeed

• 5+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing, including roles leading others in a production environment.
• Formal or informal leadership experience, with a proven record of taking initiative and driving change. Self-motivated, detail-oriented, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, clear communicator, and demonstrated relationship-building skills.
• Ability to function through influence in the absence of positional authority; able to form and motivate a team without official authority to accomplish self-directed goals.
• Organizationally sensitive, able to engage and influence without creating conflict.
• Track record of building buy-in and working effectively across cross-functional teams.
• Experience with Continuous Improvement implementation and project management, with a results-oriented approach. Knowledge of Continuous Improvement methodologies and tools.
• Experience leading teams in root cause analysis and Kaizen events.
• Ability to identify waste and resolve disturbances across the entire process.
• Ability to execute Value Stream Mapping on current and future states.
• Creativity in developing new ways of working and new methodologies.
• Good analytical skills.

Education, Experience & Skills:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; degree in Engineering (e.g., Welding, Mechanical, Industrial) preferred. Advanced degree/MBA preferred.
• Practical experience in heavy manufacturing strongly preferred. Experience working in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Our Offer to You

• Medical, dental and vision care coverage and a 401(k) savings plan with company matching - all starting on date of hire
• Tuition reimbursement, employee wellness programs, plus other perks and discounts
• Parental and caregiver leave policies
• All the usual benefits such as paid time off, flexible spending, short-and long-term disability, basic life insurance, business travel insurance, Employee Assistance Program, and domestic partner benefits
• Global market strength and worldwide leadership in weighing
• A brand name that is identified worldwide with precision, quality, and innovation
• Thousands of patents, design and innovation awards
• A commitment to extraordinary service on our state-of-the-art equipment

About Mettler Toledo

METTLER TOLEDO is a global leader in precision instruments and services. We are renowned for innovation and quality across laboratory, process analytics, industrial, product inspection, and retailing applications. Our sales and service network is one of the most extensive in the industry. Our products are sold in more than 140 countries, and we have a direct presence in approximately 40 countries. For more information, please visit www.mt.com.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We give consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification. You can find more details in our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy. If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please click here.