Lean & Operational Excellence Leader (Manufacturing)

Vantedge Medical; Stockton (CA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Vander-Bend, a U.S.-based manufacturer now part of Vantedge Medical, seeks a Continuous Improvement Leader in Stockton, CA. This salaried, full-time role leads Lean initiatives across operations, drives standard work, and partners with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to optimize safety, throughput, and cost.

You will champion Value Stream Mapping, 5S, and PDCA, manage Kaizen events, develop KPIs, and mentor teams to sustain gains while advancing a culture of operational

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering or similar.
• Lean, Six Sigma and/or Project Management certification strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 3 years directly involved in lean/CI leadership.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects.
• Experience with ERP and manufacturing reporting systems (Infor Visual, Power BI, Excel).
• Demonstrated history of implementing measurable operational improvements.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and change management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and employee engagement.
• Champion the use of Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, and continuous improvement methodologies including Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Visual Management, 5S, SMED, Pull Systems, A3 Problem Solving, PDCA, and Root Cause Analysis.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute improvement projects that increase manufacturing capacity, reduce lead time, eliminate waste, and improve operational performance.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, Rapid Improvement Workshops, and problem-solving activities while ensuring measurable results and long-term sustainment.
• Facilitate cross-functional improvement projects with Manufacturing Engineering to improve machine utilization, workflow, throughput, and operational performance.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized work, visual work instructions, best practices, and process documentation to improve consistency and reduce variation.
• Analyze operational data and KPIs to identify trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities, and present recommendations to site leadership.
• Lead manufacturing process improvement projects including workflow optimization, line balancing, workstation design, and manufacturing layout improvements.
• Improve material flow by reducing waste and optimizing inventory and replenishment systems.
• Support readiness activities for new equipment, line transfers, expansions, and new product introductions.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to improve automation performance, machine utilization, throughput, and unattended operation.
• Facilitate continuous improvement projects with Maintenance to reduce downtime and improve PM effectiveness.
• Facilitate root cause investigations using A3, 5 Why, Fishbone, Pareto, 8D, and PDCA.
• Develop and maintain visual management systems including KPI boards and production dashboards.
• Lead employee engagement initiatives that encourage idea generation and a culture of operational excellence.
• Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, and implementation strategies for CI initiatives, communicating progress to leadership.
• Measure, validate, and report project results including productivity, quality, lead time, capacity gains, and cost savings.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Problem solving

Cross-functional leadership

Facilitation

Change management

Communication

Teamwork

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain or Industrial Engineering

Lean Six Sigma certification

Tools

Infor Visual

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Vander-Bend, a U.S.-based manufacturer now part of Vantedge Medical, seeks a Continuous Improvement Leader in Stockton, CA. This salaried, full-time role leads Lean initiatives across operations, drives standard work, and partners with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to optimize safety, throughput, and cost.

You will champion Value Stream Mapping, 5S, and PDCA, manage Kaizen events, develop KPIs, and mentor teams to sustain gains while advancing a culture of operational