IWS Manager

Perfetti Van Melle; Erlanger (KY); On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO package

13 paid holidays

401k with Company Match

Annual Bonus potential

Maternity & Paternity leave

Job summary

Perfetti Van Melle is seeking an IWS Manager in Erlanger, KY to lead the site’s IWS phase journey and continuous improvement initiatives. The role combines system-building with hands-on execution to deliver breakthroughs in safety, quality, productivity, cost, delivery, and morale.

You will coordinate IWS workshops, drive implementation, and align goals with leadership. Strong analytical, Lean Six Sigma, and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Overall Coordinator of IWS implementation and drives IWS circle of success.
• Lead the master plan development and keep it on track.
• Coordinate workshops and trainings for teams.
• Drive the implementation and champion it across sites.
• Develop and align goals with the plant manager.

Skills

Lean six sigma

Problem solving

Data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Coaching

Education

Bachelor's in engineering

MBA preferred

Tools

Excel

Power BI

MS Office

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

IWS Manager

Date: Oct 2, 2026

Location: Erlanger, KY, US, 41018

OVERVIEW

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The IWS/CI Manager serves as the strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing the site's IWS phase journey and Continuous Improvement initiatives. This role integrates system‑building responsibilities with hands‑on execution to deliver breakthrough performance in safety, quality, productivity, cost, delivery, and morale.

• Overall Coordinator of IWS implementation – Drives IWS circle of success
• Lead the master plan Development
• Masterplan remains on track
• Pillars are in place, healthy and properly integrated
• Coordinate workshop and trainings
• Drive the implementation – be a champion
• Coordinate annual Loss Analysis – establish the base line
• Develop and align goals and milestones with the plant manager
• Develop and align goals and milestones with the plant manager
• Looks ahead 6 to 18 months and anticipate capability development – needs
• Have a PDCA in place
• Makes issues & problems of the implementation visible for leaders
• Daily consultant to: Site Leader, Pillar owners, ODM's-Tio, Teams and individuals
• IWS Promotion, Communication & Education
• Ensure systems are in place to drive reapplication and one common standard
• Works closely with the IWS regional manager to get best possible coaching
• Develop the agenda for consultations visit and external audits
• Benchmark and reapply implementation on companywide sites
• Drives the data management systems, from the acquisition all the way to the decision making to ensure actions are driven by data
• Drives the 5's program for the site with the support of the value stream leaders
• Drives the statistical process control for the value streams with the support of the process engineer.
• Ensure progress on the RTTs and corresponding DMS;s scheduled as per site Master Plan

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or relevant field required. MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem‑ solving capabilities
• 7-12 years in food, pharma, consumer goods or similar regulated manufacturing
• Experience with high-speed packaging, complex processing or multi-line operations
• Led lean six sigma, TPM, or IWS deployment at a plant or multiline level
• Experience running Kaizen, SMED, 5S, Kanban and RCA methodologies
• Understanding of end‑ to ‑ end supply chain processes
• Ability to communicate effectively across supply, commercial, and logistics teams
• Detail‑ oriented with a continuous improvement mindset
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI, etc.)
• Led cross-functional CI projects tied to COGS, yield, waste, labour productivity or equipment utilization
• Experience coordinating engineering , maintenance and operations on improvements
• Master 2-3 TPM pillars and overall knowledgeable of all pillars and program phases
• Understand the integration of the TPM pillars by phases
• Master RTT and its DMS, especially DDS
• Master the phases of the program
• Master what loses Pillars capabilities can eliminate
• Relationship building, collaboration, influencing, and program management skills
• Coaching and development skills
  

WHAT WE OFFER

At Perfetti Van Melle,weare committed to fostering awelcomingworkplace, where all individuals, regardless of background or identity, are valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives to the sweet success of our candy-loving community.Additionally,we have a core value ofCareForOur Peopleand we are proud to offer benefit programs that support our team members' goals and well-being including:

• PTO package including vacation,wellness, personal, and pay it forward time off
• 13 paid holidays
• 401k with Company Match up to 8%, ranking in the top 1% of thecountry
• Annual Bonus potential and merit-based increases
• 20weeksMaternity &12weeksPaternity leave options
• Sam's Club or Costco annual membership reimbursement
• Tuition-Free College Program or Free Continued Education (BA, Masters, etc.)
• Modest monthly candy allotment (Airheads, Airheads Xtremes, and Mentos)

Perfetti Van Melle, USA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other applicable statutorily protected group status under local, state, or federal law.