On-the-Floor CI Lead: Lean, Data-Driven Ops Champion

Relate Search; Waukesha (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Relate Search has partnered with a large food manufacturing organization to confidentially search for a Continuous Improvement Lead to support its Waukesha facility.

This role blends analytics with hands-on shop floor collaboration to identify losses, optimize processes, and sustain gains through Lean, Six Sigma, and standard work. You will partner with plant leadership and operations teams to drive measurable improvements.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of Lean experience in manufacturing or a related field.
• Experience leading Kaizen workshops and activities around 5S, Standard Work, visual management, daily management, SMED and OEE gap closure.
• Proven ability to drive Continuous Improvement initiatives with measurable savings or improvements.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret production data and translate findings into opportunities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, execute, sustain, and standardize process improvement initiatives including Kaizen events and standard work.
• Analyze production data to identify losses and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Partner with plant leadership to build a pipeline of CI and cost-saving projects.
• Coach leaders on Lean principles and sustainable process improvement.
• Develop and coordinate training around Lean and Six Sigma techniques.
• Utilize statistics, downtime tracking, and project planning to measure gains.
• Collaborate with Area Manager to align CI activities with area priorities.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Problem solving

Communication

On-site collaboration

Training and coaching

Kaizen events

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Word

Job description

Relate Search has partnered with a large food manufacturing organization to confidentially search for a Continuous Improvement Lead to support its Waukesha facility.

This role blends analytics with hands-on shop floor collaboration to identify losses, optimize processes, and sustain gains through Lean, Six Sigma, and standard work. You will partner with plant leadership and operations teams to drive measurable improvements.