Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Manager

Qualdoc; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualdoc in Virginia Beach, VA seeks a Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Manager to lead process improvements across our manufacturing operation. This role drives Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen initiatives and mentors teams to reduce waste and improve quality.

You will partner with operations leadership, establish KPIs, and ensure sustainable improvements across shifts while fostering a culture of accountability and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years leading or implementing CI in manufacturing.
• Experience in engineer-to-order, fabrication or manufacturing environments preferred.
• Lean/Six Sigma/CI certification preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, value stream mapping, RCA, Kaizen, and change management.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement programs aligned with business and operational goals.
• Partner with manufacturing teams to identify productivity and cost-reduction opportunities.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and problem-solving activities.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis and CI methodologies.
• Evaluate workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Lead rollout with production teams to maintain process improvements.
• Train, coach, and mentor employees on CI tools and practices.
• Develop communication plans to encourage participation and engagement.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure improvement results.
• Analyze operational data to guide decisions and actions.
• Present project results to plant and senior leadership.
• Improve labor efficiency through workflow design and capital investment.
• Support CI initiatives across multiple shifts as needed.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, safety, quality, and continuous learning.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Root Cause Analysis

Change Management

Leadership

Data Analysis

MS Office

Cross-functional

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Management, Manufacturing Engineering

Job description

Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Manager

Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Starting Salary: $85,000/year (higher based on experience)

Position Overview

We are seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead process improvement initiatives across a manufacturing operation. This role works closely with operations and production leadership to reduce waste, improve efficiency, strengthen quality, and implement sustainable process improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving methods.

The successful candidate will help build a culture where employees at all levels participate in identifying and solving operational challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement programs aligned with business and operational goals
• Partner with manufacturing and operations teams to identify productivity, process, and cost-reduction opportunities
• Facilitate Kaizen events, improvement workshops, and problem-solving activities
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, and other CI methodologies
• Evaluate workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement sustainable solutions
• Work directly with production teams to introduce and maintain process improvements
• Train, coach, and mentor employees on CI tools and practices
• Develop communication plans that encourage participation and engagement
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure improvement results
• Analyze operational data and use findings to guide decisions and action plans
• Present project results, recommendations, and progress to plant and senior leadership
• Improve labor efficiency through workflow optimization, process design, and capital investment opportunities
• Support CI initiatives across multiple shifts as needed
• Promote accountability, teamwork, innovation, safety, quality, and continuous learning
• Ensure improvement activities support operational and customer requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Management, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience considered
• 5+ years of experience leading or implementing continuous improvement programs in manufacturing
• Experience in engineer-to-order, fabrication, industrial, or manufacturing environments preferred
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification strongly preferred
• Proven success delivering measurable process and operational improvements
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Lean principles
  • Value stream mapping
  • Root cause analysis
  • Kaizen facilitation
  • Change management
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret operational data
• Strong leadership and cross-functional influence skills
• Excellent presentation, communication, facilitation, and training abilities
• Strong project management, organization, and time-management skills
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Self-motivated problem solver who can manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, accountability, and operational excellence

Work Requirements

• Regularly walk and interact with teams on the manufacturing floor
• Ability to stand, bend, and move throughout production areas
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.
• Willingness to support multiple shifts and work flexible hours when improvement projects require it
• Comfortable working in both office and manufacturing environments