Continuous Improvement Manager

Methode Electronics, Inc.; Rolling Meadows (IL); On-site; USD 108,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Life

Disability insurance

Voluntary benefits

401(k) with company contribution

Job summary

Methode Electronics, Inc. seeks an experienced Continuous Improvement leader in Rolling Meadows, IL to own the site CI roadmap and deploy a lean operating system across production, including quoting, planning, and quality processes.

The role requires Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a strong track record in metal fabrication or electromechanical assembly. You will coach supervisors, lead kaizen events, and partner with Finance on business-case validation while ensuring AS9100/NADCAP alignment where

Qualifications

• ITAR: U.S. Person eligibility required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• 8+ years in manufacturing with 3+ years CI/operational-excellence leadership.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with proven impact.

Responsibilities

• Own the site CI roadmap and align the improvement pipeline with leadership priorities.
• Lead kaizen events, value-stream mapping, and rapid improvement workshops.
• Drive flow improvements: SMED, WIP reduction, scheduling discipline.
• Quantify improvements using Epicor data and validate sustained savings.
• Extend lean practices to quoting, order entry, planning, purchasing, and quality processes.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Problem solving

Data analysis

ERP data

Coaching

Cross-functional

Systems thinking

Education

Engineering degree (IE/ME/Manufacturing)

Tools

Epicor ERP

MES

Job description

Key Responsibilities

CI Strategy & Lean Operating System

• Own the site continuous-improvement roadmap; align the improvement pipeline to business priorities through strategy deployment and annual/quarterly planning with the leadership team.
• Design, deploy, and sustain the lean operating system: tiered daily management, visual management, standard work, leader standard work, and gemba routines.
• Define and maintain the plant KPI framework (safety, quality, delivery, cost, throughput, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, cost of poor quality) and ensure metrics drive action at every tier.

Improvement Execution

• Plan, facilitate, and follow up on kaizen events, value-stream mapping, and rapid improvement workshops across the busbar value stream and supporting functions.
• Lead structured problem-solving (DMAIC, A3, 8D) on the site’s highest-impact losses; focus early effort on the binding constraints to flow.
• Drive HMLV-appropriate flow improvements: setup and changeover reduction (SMED), WIP and queue-time reduction, cell design, pull/replenishment, and scheduling discipline.
• Use Epicor labor, move, and job data to quantify active-vs-queue time, identify waste, and validate that improvements hold.
• Extend lean practices beyond production into quoting, order entry, planning, purchasing, and quality processes (transactional lean).

Financial Accountability

• Build business cases for improvement initiatives; track and report validated hard and soft savings in partnership with Finance.
• Partner with Engineering on capital, automation, and MES/analytics projects to ensure they solve the right problems and deliver expected returns.

People & Capability

• Build CI capability across the organization: deliver lean and problem-solving training.
• Coach supervisors and managers to lead improvement in their own areas; foster an engaged culture where operators identify and solve problems.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Integrate CI with AS9100 and NADCAP requirements; ensure process changes are properly controlled, documented, and validated, and support audits and corrective actions.
• Lead 5S and workplace organization; partner with EHS to embed safety and ergonomics into improvement work.

Required Qualifications

• This facility is subject to ITAR regulations. Applicants must qualify as a “U.S. Person” under ITAR (22 CFR § 120.62), meaning a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or other qualifying protected individual. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, or a closely related discipline.
• 8+ years of manufacturing experience, including 3+ years leading continuous-improvement or operational-excellence programs, ideally in a metal‑fabrication, machining, or electromechanical assembly environment.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (or equivalent demonstrated expertise) with a track record of measurable, sustained throughput, quality, and cost results.
• Deep working knowledge of lean tools and systems: value-stream mapping, standard work, SMED, 5S, visual and tiered management, kaizen, and structured problem-solving.
• Strong analytical skills; fluent in ERP‑based manufacturing data and comfortable building the analyses that drive decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a high‑mix, low‑volume or job‑shop operation.
• Busbar, power‑distribution, or copper/aluminum fabrication background; familiarity with plating and other special processes.
• AS9100 and/or NADCAP experience.
• Epicor (or comparable ERP) and MES implementation experience.
• Experience with strategy deployment (hoshin kanri) and building a CI function or lean operating system from the ground up.

Core Competencies

• Bias for action and floor presence — leads improvement where the work happens.
• Systems thinking: builds routines and structures that make gains stick.
• Data‑driven decision‑making balanced with practical, job‑shop pragmatism.
• Coaching and change leadership — builds capability in others rather than dependence on the CI function.
• Collaboration and influence across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, and finance.
• Ownership and follow‑through on outcomes, not just activity.

The base pay hiring rate expected for this position is: $108,000 - $162,000 annually.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Frequent hand motion and repetitive tasks including using a computer for typing. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally do immediate reaching and overhead reaching to perform various duties, frequent standing for varied amounts of time to perform various duties, frequent walking for varied amounts of time to perform various duties. Squat or bend to perform various duties. Occasionally climb stairs.

Methode Electronics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO is the Law poster is available here: EEO Poster, if you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e‑mail [e-mail] or call [phone] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Frequent hand motion and repetitive tasks including using a computer for typing. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally do immediate reaching and overhead reaching to perform various duties, frequent standing for varied amounts of time to perform various duties, frequent walking for varied amounts of time to perform various duties. Squat or bend to perform various duties. Occasionally climb stairs.

Benefits and Perks:

• Methode offers U.S. employees comprehensive benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Life and Disability insurance, educational assistance, and paid time off benefits.
• Voluntary benefit plans include Accident, Hospital Indemnity, and Pet Insurance coverage.
• Employees also have access to valuable discount programs that can contribute to lowering costs off certain technology, automotive, and home appliance products.
• In addition, Methode provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and participation in the Company's 401(k) plan, which includes a company contribution.

Methode Electronics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics per the EEO Poster available here. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e‑mail [e-mail] or call [phone] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.