Director, Performance Improvement (Manufacturing and Industrials)

Ankura; North Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Ankura is seeking a senior-level improvement leader to guide performance initiatives for manufacturing clients in a hybrid role across major markets. The candidate will drive EBITDA and cash-flow improvements, develop value creation roadmaps, and lead cross-functional teams with a focus on lean, Six Sigma, and operational transformation.

Based in Chicago, Dallas, or New York, the role blends on-site and remote work, with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with strong GPA; MBA valued for senior levels.
• 5+ years advisory experience with manufacturing/industrial focus.
• Hands-on experience with Lean/Six Sigma and value-stream improvement.
• Ability to lead multi-team engagements and coach staff.

Responsibilities

• Support clients through growth, turnarounds, acquisitions, and integrations.
• Assess plant performance using OEE, throughput, and productivity metrics.
• Evaluate operating systems to improve safety, quality, and service.
• Translate shop-floor diagnostics into financial outcomes and value creation.
• Develop analytics tools, dashboards, and scorecards to drive decisions.
• Apply Lean/Six Sigma to reduce waste and stabilize inventories.
• Analyze multi-shift operations to identify bottlenecks and levers.
• Create value-creation roadmaps with measurable EBITDA and cash flow targets.
• Manage workplans, milestones, and executive-ready communications.
• Lead teams and coach Associates; collaborate with senior clients.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Value stream mapping

Leadership

Financial modeling

Data analysis

Project management

Communication

Education

Undergraduate degree

MBA preferred

Tools

Excel

Analytical tools

Job description

New York, NY

USA Chicago North Riverside Plaza

Chicago, IL

Dallas, TX

Full time

Performance Improvement Practice Overview

Ankura’s Performance Improvement practice provides extensive industry expertise combined with data- driven, objective, and innovative approaches to the most complex business challenges. Our significant experience working with companies at critical inflection points in their lifecycles has informed our approach and instilled a sense of urgency in solving problems. Our team works with numerous clients to build value and accelerate business performance via process improvement.

Role Overview

The ideal candidate for this role will be based in Chicago, Dallas, or New York though other locations may be considered. When not traveling, this role would be hybrid splitting time between working in an Ankura office and remotely. Depending on candidate qualifications this role could be filled at the Director or Senior Director level.

The strongest candidate will bring hands-on manufacturing and industrials performance improvement experience, including plant operations leadership, enterprise value creation, CAPEX execution, Lean/Six Sigma, value stream performance, labor productivity, safety, quality, and operational transformation. A mix of corporate and consulting experience is prized, consulting only experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Support clients through rapid growth, plant turnarounds, acquisition integrations, carve-outs, and broader cultural or operating model transformations, including M&A operational due diligence and pre/post-close execution.
• Assess plant performance using OEE, throughput, labor productivity, reliability, quality, and asset utilization to identify EBITDA and cash flow improvement opportunities.
• Evaluate operating systems, management routines, process discipline, leadership effectiveness, and manufacturing networks (footprint, capacity utilization, synergies) to enhance safety, quality, service, and productivity and support M&A-related decisions.
• Translate shop-floor performance and operational diagnostics into clear financial outcomes, supporting capacity unlock, CAPEX optimization, and enterprise value creation initiatives.
• Build analytical tools and financial models; deploy advanced analytics, dashboards, KPI reporting, and operating scorecards beyond basic Excel to drive data-based decision making.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methods to reduce waste and defects, increase throughput, improve setup/changeover, and stabilize inventory and service levels.
• Analyze complex, multi-shift and 24/7 manufacturing operations across labor, value streams, production planning, quality, safety, and customer service to identify bottlenecks and improvement levers.
• Develop practical value creation roadmaps with measurable targets for EBITDA, cash flow, productivity, quality, safety, service, working capital, and CAPEX effectiveness.
• Manage engagement workplans, milestones, issue logs, and status reporting; prepare executive-ready reports, scorecards, business cases, and presentations, and communicate findings to senior leadership.
• Lead and collaborate with client and internal teams, working directly with senior clients to gather data and test hypotheses; set priorities across workstreams, manage Associates/Senior Associates, and provide coaching and feedback.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree from a top academic institution with a strong GPA required; Master’s degree preferred and MBA strongly valued.
• 5+ years of advisory experience with a top-tier management consulting firm with significant manufacturing/industrials experience; 10+ years of progressive operations leadership across consulting and corporate/client-side roles preferred for senior-level consideration.
• Proven experience leading or advising manufacturing operations with accountability for productivity, quality, safety, budget/P&L performance, workforce management, and customer service outcomes, with a demonstrated track record of measurable enterprise value creation, operational productivity improvement, cost reduction, and performance gains in complex manufacturing environments.
• Hands‑on experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, value stream mapping, kaizen, standard work, plant turnarounds, and performance management systems; Lean and/or Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Experience supporting CAPEX planning and execution, asset management, labor strategy, inventory recovery, backorder reduction, throughput improvement, and multi-shift operating environments.
• Experience across industrials and manufacturing sectors such as building products, plastics, medical/life sciences, food/dairy, consumer goods, or other regulated production environments, with working knowledge of safety, quality, and regulatory operating disciplines and exposure to FDA, USDA, FSSC 22000, third‑party certifications, or similar requirements.
• Ability to align shop floor execution with senior executive, CEO, board, investor, and broader stakeholder priorities, and to support multiple transactions in diligence, integration, and separation roles.
• Strong people leadership experience, including building high-performance teams, developing operational leaders, coaching frontline management, and driving cultural change.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, including Excel modeling, use of analytical tools and financial analyses that balance timing, flexibility, detail, and risk with limited direction, and the ability to identify and articulate opportunities for more advanced analytic approaches beyond basic Excel; demonstrated ability to identify key issues, understand data patterns and trends, synthesize analysis, and draw practical conclusions.
• Excellent communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership skills with the ability to influence stakeholders and drive change, along with the ability and willingness to travel (estimated around 50%, varying by engagement) and to work long hours during the week and on weekends as required by client demands.

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-MJ1

For individuals assigned and/or hired to work in California, Colorado, New York or other states with relevant pay transparency laws, Ankura is required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This compensation range is specific to the said markets and considers a broad range of factors including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The range does not include additional benefits outside of salary. At Ankura, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each role. A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range is between $85,000 to $200,000; this range is not a promise of a particular wage.

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Ankura Consulting Group, LLC is an independent global expert services and advisory firm that delivers services and end-to-end solutions to help clients at critical inflection points related to conflict, crisis, performance, risk, strategy, and transformation. The Ankura team consists of more than 2000 professionals serving 3,000+ clients across 55 countries who are leaders in their respective fields and areas of expertise. Collaborative Lateral Thinking That Delivers, hard-earned experience, expertise, and multidisciplinary capabilities drive results and Ankura is unrivalled in its ability to assist clients to Protect, Create, and Recover Value. For more information, please visit, ankura.com.