Lean Continuous Improvement Specialist (Kaizen & Ops)

Scot Forge; Spring Grove (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% Onsite

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Profit Sharing

401K Plan with match

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Scot Forge is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to accelerate our Lean journey by partnering with employee-owners across the business. This hands-on role focuses on solving problems, eliminating waste, and driving measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Equipment Reliability.

You’ll lead Kaizen events, coach teams in structured problem-solving, deploy Lean principles, and build organizational capability that endures beyond individual projects.

Qualifications

• 3-7 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, or related environment.
• Lean certification and/or Six Sigma Green Belt preferred.
• Strong analytical, project management, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Servant leadership mindset with ability to influence and build engagement across teams without direct authority.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred; must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead Kaizen events and continuous improvement initiatives across the organization.
• Coach teams in structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and Lean methodologies.
• Deploy and sustain Lean manufacturing principles, daily management systems, and standard work.
• Drive improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Equipment Reliability through waste elimination.
• Measure, track, and communicate improvement results while building organizational capability.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops, and cross-functional improvement projects.
• Lead teams through structured problem-solving methods including A3, 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone Analysis, and Pareto Analysis.
• Support daily management systems through KPI development, visual management, tier meetings, leader standard work, and performance tracking.
• Conduct Gemba walks, value stream mapping, and data analysis to identify priorities and implement sustainable improvements.
• Train and coach employee-owners on Lean principles and operational excellence tools including 5S, TPM, SMED, and Visual Factory.

Skills

Lean methodologies

Structured problem-solving

Facilitation

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Tools

A3

8D

5 Whys

Fishbone Analysis

Pareto Analysis

Job description

Scot Forge is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to accelerate our Lean journey by partnering with employee-owners across the business. This hands-on role focuses on solving problems, eliminating waste, and driving measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Equipment Reliability.

You’ll lead Kaizen events, coach teams in structured problem-solving, deploy Lean principles, and build organizational capability that endures beyond individual projects.