Director, Continuous Improvement

PIP Global Safety; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

PIP Global Safety seeks a seasoned Continuous Improvement leader to drive Lean manufacturing and CI programs across North America. You will lead enterprise initiatives, mentor teams, and partner with operations, product, sales, and supply chain to deliver measurable efficiency gains.

The role requires strategic vision, strong change management, and the ability to standardize improvements across multiple facilities while communicating impact to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Black Belt certification required; Master Black Belt strongly preferred.
• 10 years in manufacturing/distribution with at least 5 years in leadership deploying CI/Lean.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to identify enterprise-wide improvement opportunities.
• Lead large-scale enterprise initiatives to enhance quality, reduce costs, and optimize delivery.
• Communicate progress, challenges, and successes of CI initiatives to senior leadership.
• Develop and implement a global CI strategy aligned with operational goals.
• Collaborate with site leaders to implement Lean, eliminate waste, improve flow, reduce lead times, and enhance quality.
• Mentor project teams in Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques.
• Standardize and replicate successful improvements across North American sites.
• Benchmark industry best practices and support manufacturing/distribution process innovation.
• Develop dashboards and operating rhythms to communicate project progress and impact.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Strategic Vision

Influencing

Analytical Skills

Change Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations Management

Master Black Belt certification (preferred)

Job description

This role is critical in driving our Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing strategies across multiple manufacturing and distribution centers in North America. The successful candidate will be responsible for cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring operational excellence, and delivering measurable results in efficiency and productivity.

Job Responsibilities

Enterprise Program Execution

• Collaborate with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, including operations, product management, sales, supply chain, and customer experience, to identify enterprise-wide improvement opportunities.
• Serve as the overall lead in the execution of large scale, enterprise-level initiatives aimed at enhancing quality, reducing costs, and optimizing delivery across the organization
• Engage with senior leadership to communicate progress, challenges, and successes of continuous improvement initiatives.

Continuous Improvement Strategy

• Develop and implement a global continuous improvement strategy that aligns with the company’s operational goals.
• Collaborate with site leaders to implement Lean Manufacturing and eliminate waste in all aspects of manufacturing and distribution processes, focusing on improving flow, reducing lead times, and enhancing product quality.
• Mentor projects teams in the execution of projects using Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques.
• Lead efforts to standardize and replicate successful improvement initiatives across North American manufacturing and distribution center locations.
• Benchmark industry best practices and support innovation in manufacturing and distribution processes.
• Develop dashboards and operating rhythms that communicate progress and impact of projects to stakeholders and senior leadership.

Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of continuous improvement professionals, fostering a high performance culture focused on operational excellence.
• Identify high performing individuals throughout the organization in order to build a talent pipeline of future continuous improvement practitioners.
• Serve as a change agent, promoting a mindset of continuous improvement and operational efficiency throughout the organization.

Qualifications

CORE SKILLS/COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 10 years of experience in manufacturing or distribution environment, with at least 5 years in a leadership role focused on the deployment of continuous improvement or Lean Manufacturing.
• Proven track record of leading enterprise-level initiatives with significant impact.
• Extensive knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies; Black Belt certification required, Master Black Belt strongly preferred
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically to manufacturing and distribution centers

Competencies

• Strategic Vision: Ability to develop and execute a strategic vision for continuous improvement across a global organization.
• Influencing: Ability to influence at multiple levels of an organization.
• Communication: Ability to distill complex ideas, technical concepts, or strategic initiatives into clear, concise, and easily understandable messages tailored to diverse audiences.
• Change Management: Expertise in leading change initiatives and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex data and drive decisions based on insights.
• Leadership: Ability to inspire, lead, and develop teams to achieve operational excellence.