Lean Leader

ABEC Inc; Springfield (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

3 weeks Paid vacation

401K plan (40% match)

10 Paid Holidays

Company paid life insurance

Tuition assistance program

Employee referral program

Job summary

ABEC seeks a Lean Leader to drive operational excellence across our bioprocess manufacturing organization. You will lead Lean initiatives, Kaizen events, and waste-reduction programs to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost while engaging employees.

You will partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functions to implement sustainable improvements, develop site roadmaps, and coach leaders in problem-solving techniques to build internal Lean capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required; Black Belt preferred.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the deployment of Lean Manufacturing principles across the organization.
• Facilitate continuous improvement activities aligned with business objectives.
• Develop and maintain site Lean roadmaps and improvement priorities.
• Identify waste and optimize process flow; lead Kaizen events and Rapid Improvement Workshops.
• Track KPIs, report progress to leadership, and drive sustained gains.
• Train and mentor staff in Lean tools and problem-solving methods.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Kaizen events

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field

Job description

Position Summary

The Lean Leader is responsible for driving operational excellence and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. This role leads Lean Manufacturing initiatives, Kaizen events, waste reduction programs, and process optimization efforts to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. The Lean Leader partners with manufacturing, engineering, quality, supply chain, and support functions to implement sustainable improvements that enhance business performance.

Key Responsibilities

Lean Manufacturing Leadership

• Lead the deployment of Lean Manufacturing principles throughout the organization.
• Champion continuous improvement activities aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Promote a culture of problem solving, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Develop and maintain site Lean roadmaps and improvement priorities.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to eliminate waste and improve process flow.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Workshops, and Value Stream Mapping activities.
• Lead root cause analysis using structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Drive implementation of corrective and preventive actions.

Operational Excellence

• Improve productivity, efficiency, throughput, and quality performance.
• Establish and maintain standard work practices.
• Implement visual management systems and performance dashboards.
• Support workplace organization through 5S initiatives.

Data Analysis & Performance Management

• Develop and track KPIs to measure operational performance.
• Analyze manufacturing and business data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Monitor savings, productivity gains, and project effectiveness.
• Report progress to leadership teams and stakeholders.

Training & Capability Development

• Train employees and leaders in Lean principles and tools.
• Coach supervisors and managers on problem solving and continuous improvement techniques.
• Build internal Lean capabilities throughout the organization.
• Mentor improvement project leaders and Kaizen facilitators.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Project Management teams.
• Support new process implementation and operational readiness activities.
• Ensure Lean principles are incorporated into facility layouts, workflows, and new product introductions.
• Share best practices across departments and sites.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement.
• Proven experience implementing Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience leading Kaizen events and cross-functional improvement projects.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required; Black Belt preferred.

Company Background

For over 50 years, ABEC has been a leading supplier to the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry. ABEC's unique value is based on combining long experience with the ability to engineer, design, manufacture, commission, qualify, and service the entire bioprocess to reduce overall cost, shorten time to market, and maximize productivity. ABEC's products include process and equipment engineering/consulting services, comprehensive site services, and stainless steel and single use bioprocess equipment, including bioreactors and fermenters, filtration and chromatography systems, prep and hold systems, and cleaning/sterilization systems.

Benefits include

• Medical, dental and vision insurance (Day 1)
• 3 weeks Paid vacation
• Industry leading 401K plan (40% match!)
• 10 Paid Holidays
• Company paid life insurance
• College tuition benefit program
• Employee Referral Program