Continuous Improvement Manager

Barnes Aerospace, Inc.; Granby (CT); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnes Aerospace, Inc. in Granby, Connecticut, seeks a Continuous Improvement Leader to act as a strategic business partner to site leadership and drive operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of experience and proficiency in continuous improvement methodologies.

The role includes identifying improvement opportunities, leading high-impact projects, and collaborating across functions. A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and continuous improvement certifications are preferred.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience delivering measurable improvements in operational performance.
• Proven experience with continuous improvement tools (Lean, Theory of Constraints, Kaizen).
• Strong understanding of operational excellence principles.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic business partner to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead deployment of the VITAL Operating System.
• Identify and lead high-impact continuous improvement projects.

Job description

• Act as a strategic business partner to site leadership to identify opportunities for operational and financial performance improvement.
• Analyze current processes, workflows, and systems to identify inefficiencies and develop improvement strategies that drive measurable results.
• Operational Excellence & VITAL Ownership
• Lead the deployment, sustainment, and continuous evolution of the VITAL Operating System at the site.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise CI standards, tools, and methodologies through close collaboration with the Director of Continuous Improvement.
• Identify, prioritize, and lead high-impact CI projects and initiatives that deliver quality, operational, financial, and customer satisfaction improvements.
• Drive successful execution of projects from concept through implementation and sustainment.
• Frameworks & Capability Building
• Establish and deploy structured CI frameworks, governance, and standard work across the organization.
• Build organizational capability by training, coaching, developing and mentoring employees at all levels in CI methodologies and tools.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, finance, safety and other functions to enhance productivity and drive cross-functional improvements.
• Facilitate workshops, kaizen events, training and problem-solving sessions.
• Performance & Analytics
• Utilize data-driven methodologies to identify root causes, track performance, and validate improvement outcomes.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure CI effectiveness.
• Stay current with industry trends, tools, and best practices in continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Drive standardization and sharing of best practices across the organization.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience delivering measurable, step-change improvements in business or operational performance.
• Proven hands‑on experience with continuous improvement tools and methodologies (e.g., Lean, Theory of Constraints, Kaizen), with relevant certifications preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence across multiple levels of the organization.
• Strong understanding of operational excellence principles across manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Analytical, data‑driven approach to problem solving with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong numerical and analytical capability.
• Project Management certification preferred, but not required, or a strong project management background.
• Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt) is a plus.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
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