Corporate Continuous Improvement Manager

Eaton; Southfield (MI); Remote; USD 141,000 - 207,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Corporate Continuous Improvement Manager to spearhead CI initiatives across its global operations. This role involves leading a culture of problem-solving and operational excellence, collaborating with senior leaders to implement Six Sigma strategies and training programs. With a focus on fostering a robust CI environment, you'll enhance capabilities across various corporate functions, ensuring alignment with the company's sustainability goals. If you are passionate about driving change and improving processes in a dynamic setting, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Competitive pay

Health and Welfare benefits

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Flexible working hours

Professional development programs

Qualifications

• 10+ years in lean manufacturing and operations.
• Six Sigma/CI Certifications required.
• Experience in developing CI strategy.

Responsibilities

• Drive enterprise-wide CI culture and strategy.
• Lead training for senior leaders and plant managers.
• Develop and deploy CI initiatives across functions.

Skills

A3 Problem Solving

Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

Standard Work (SW)

Daily Accountability (Tier meetings)

Lean tools

Six Sigma

Problem Solving

Manufacturing process knowledge

Teaching and mentoring

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Eaton’s Corporate team is seeking a Corporate Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager to support our CI initiatives across the global enterprise. This position can be based remotely within the Eastern or Central time zones in the US, preferably within 50 miles of a major airport. At least 50% travel is expected.

Eaton is a ~$25B Revenue intelligent power management company with a presence in over 170 countries globally. We were founded in 1911 and have been listed on the NYSE for over 100 years. We at Eaton are innovating future products with a focus on global sustainability megatrends: Energy Transition, Electrification, and Digital Enablement.

What you'll do

As the Continuous Improvement (CI) Strategy Leader, you will drive enterprise-wide CI culture and strategy by partnering with Operations CI directors, Master Black Belts, and CI Managers to institutionalize a robust Problem Solving/Six Sigma strategy. You will lead the Leadership Excellence Program, providing focused training for Presidents, GMs, Ops VPs, Ops Directors, Plant Managers, and Frontline Leaders, while building CI fundamentals across the organization, including VSM, Daily Accountability, Leader Standard Work, Problem Solving, and Gemba Walks. Your role will involve fostering a problem-solving culture within corporate functional organizations and enhancing CI capabilities.

You will drive Problem Solving Kaizens (A3) and Six Sigma Yellow Belt initiatives at all organizational levels, identify the need for Six Sigma experts, develop skill assessments, and drive annual development strategies. Additionally, you will develop and deploy Red X strategies to address organizational needs. In developing corporate functional CI programs, you will implement CI initiatives within various corporate functions such as Engineering, Supply Chain, IT, Finance, HR, Eaton Business System (EBS), Legal, Communications, and Quality. Leading the corporate functions council, you will manage project portfolios, conduct monthly reviews, and facilitate quarterly sharing sessions with CI champions/leaders. You will also develop Eaton Continuous Improvement System (ECIS) Assessors and drive the Operational Assessments (OpA) ECIS Program.

Collaboration with Master Black Belts, Black Belts, CI Directors, and experts will be key as you develop and modify training materials. You will educate Eaton Problem Solving/Six Sigma professionals, executives, senior leaders, and managers on DMAIC principles, acting as a “Sensei” to other professionals. Supporting the development of ECIS-Self Assessment Criteria, you will lead educational activities and initiatives such as plant manager training, executive leadership training, Strategy Deployment, Variation Reduction Kaizens (VRKs), and Problem Solving Kaizens. You will own the development of ECIS tools, processes, and standards, supporting deployment through Business CI leaders. Regularly reviewing and enhancing Problem Solving/Six Sigma training courses to ensure quality, accuracy, currency, and effectiveness will be part of your responsibilities. Additionally, you will develop corporate functional CI excellence training programs and support the development of Leadership CI excellence programs.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:
• Bachelors Degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum of 10 years experience in lean manufacturing, operations, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence
• Manufacturing operations experience is required
• Six Sigma/CI Certifications
• Must be able to travel 50% of the time, including both domestic and international travel
• Must be able to work in the US now and in the future without company sponsorship

Preferred Qualifications:
• Certified and Active Six Sigma Black Belt (by SBTI or a similar recognized organization) strongly preferred
• Experience working within a best-in-class, multinational organization in an enterprise-wide capacity
• Continuous Improvement experience within a manufacturing/industrial company
• CI experience in corporate functions is a plus
• Facilitation experience of CI tools such as A3 Problem Solving, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work (SW), and Daily Accountability (Tier meetings)

Skills:

• In depth knowledge of A3 Problem Solving, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work (SW), and Daily Accountability (Tier meetings)
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing process, Lean tools, and problem-solving/six sigma experience in multiple different manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated track record of success in areas of Lean and Six Sigma, with an emphasis on Problem Solving
• Experience in developing and Deploying CI strategy across the organization
• Demonstrated ability to teach and mentor others in the Problem Solving and methodology
• Excellent Instruction and influencing skills to enable visible and collaborative leadership
• Ability to lead effectively and drive alignment across a complex global matrixed environment
• Ability and experience working with Senior leaders (Ops Directors, CI Directors and Plant managers) in driving Continuous Improvement
• Flexibility and resilience, poise under pressure, adapting plans to changing circumstances
• Effective communication and influencing abilities at senior levels

At Eaton, we strive to provide compensation and benefits that attract, engage, and retain the best talent. This includes competitive pay and a variety of benefit programs for eligible employees. The expected annual salary range for this role is $141000.03 - $206800.04 a year. This role is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.