Lean CI Leader: Manufacturing Excellence

Wells; Valders (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with profit sharing

Paid holidays

Job summary

Wells is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to lead lean initiatives across its manufacturing operations in Wisconsin. The role focuses on applying Lean principles, solving problems with data, and driving projects that improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.

The candidate partners with cross-functional teams, participates in Tier 3 reviews, and translates trends into structured, measurable improvements with sustainable impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, continuous improvement, or a supervisory role.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or related certification preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to analyze operational data, identify trends, and drive actionable insights.
• Experience with Pareto analysis, root cause analysis, and corrective action processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the plant’s CI program and promote a culture of operational excellence.
• Participate in Tier 3 meetings to review KPIs and trends.
• Analyze Pareto charts and data to identify losses and safety concerns.
• Develop and manage CI projects based on data-driven insights.
• Facilitate root cause analysis using 5 Why, Fishbone, 8D, DMAIC.
• Lead cross-functional teams to implement corrective actions.
• Establish project goals, timelines, metrics, and accountability.
• Monitor progress with dashboards and visual management.
• Collaborate with production, maintenance, quality, and engineering.
• Conduct process observations and value stream mapping to find inefficiencies.
• Develop and maintain standard work for sustainable improvements.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and employee engagement.
• Support Lean principles including 5S and waste elimination.
• Track improvements in productivity, quality, safety, uptime, and efficiency.
• Provide coaching on continuous improvement tools and safety compliance.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Data-driven leadership

Problem solving

Cross-functional teams

Project management

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Excel

Job description

Wells is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to lead lean initiatives across its manufacturing operations in Wisconsin. The role focuses on applying Lean principles, solving problems with data, and driving projects that improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.

The candidate partners with cross-functional teams, participates in Tier 3 reviews, and translates trends into structured, measurable improvements with sustainable impact.