Plant Continuous Improvement Leader

DuPont; Valley View (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DuPont in Valley View, OH is seeking a Plant Continuous Improvement Leader to deploy the OpEx framework, coach teams, and drive Kaizen across the site. You will partner with plant leadership to identify performance gaps, build the OpEx roadmap, and deliver measurable benefits through Daily Management, VSM, 5S, and digital / Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Responsibilities include leading Kaizen events, sustaining improvements with financial validation, and developing site capability through coaching

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business, Information Technologies, or related field.
• Lean Practitioner / Six Sigma knowledge preferred; Green Belt preferred.
• Strong communication and leadership capabilities to coach teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%.
• Experience with digital/Industry 4.0 improvement approaches.

Responsibilities

• Deploy and sustain the DuPont OpEx framework and business system.
• Partner with plant leadership to identify performance gaps and priorities linked to SQDIP, margin, EBITDA, and operational maturity.
• Lead Kaizen events and value stream improvements.
• Coach projects from problem definition through implementation and validation.
• Support project management and benefits tracking across the site.

Skills

Lean / Six Sigma knowledge

Leadership / coaching

Daily Management

Problem solving

Verbal & written communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business, Information Technologies, or related field

Tools

5S

SMED

Value Stream Mapping

Kaizen

Digital / Industry 4.0 approaches

Job description

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter. Whether it’s providing clean water to more than a billion people on the planet, producing materials that are essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world. Discover the many reasons the world’s most talented people are choosing to work at DuPont. Why Join Us | DuPont Careers

We are seeking a Plant Continuous Improvement Leader at Valley View, Ohio site. This role will work with a diverse team to support the manufacturing of Vespel® Polyimide Resins.

The Plant Continuous Improvement (CI) Leader improves plant performance by deploying and sustaining the DuPont Operational Excellence System. The role partners with plant leadership, front-line teams, and Business OpEx resources to improve SQDIP results through Daily Management, structured problem solving, Kaizen, value stream improvement, and capability building.

The CI Leader serves as the local OpEx practitioner and change leader, coaching employees and leaders, facilitating improvement work (including sustainment activities), and connecting site priorities to the broader CI network and digital / Industry 4.0 opportunities.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Operational Excellence Deployment

• Partner with plant leadership to identify performance gaps and priorities linked to SQDIP, margin, EBITDA, and operational maturity.
• Build and execute the plant OpEx roadmap aligned with site and business objectives.
• Deploy and sustain the DuPont OpEx framework and business system using defined playbooks, roles, and routines.

Daily Management & Performance Systems

• Coach leaders and teams on Daily Visual Management, Bowler / tiered accountability, Leader Standard Work, action tracking, and escalation.
• Use performance data to identify losses, bottlenecks, waste, and execution gaps.

Continuous Improvement & Kaizen

• Lead Kaizen events, focused improvement workshops, value stream improvement, and waste elimination activities. Collaborating with cross-functional teams build/maintain/prioritize Kaizen funnel and sustainment processes.
• Coach projects from problem definition through implementation, sustainment, and financial validation using Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, and data-based problem solving.

Program Management & Benefits Validation

• Lead or support the plant Project Management Office (PMO), including opportunity pipeline, decision cadence, milestone tracking, and benefit validation.
• Partner across functions / plants to define charters, benefits, scope, resources, timelines, and project plans.

Capability Building & Best Practice Sharing

• Build site capability through coaching, workshops, OpEx Academy learning, and hands-on application of tools such as 5S, SMED, VSM, Kaizen, and problem solving.
• Share lessons learned and leverage the CI network to accelerate adoption of proven practices.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business, Information Technologies, or related field.
• Clear verbal and written communication that connects people to purpose.
• Relevant experience in manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, operations, or Operational Excellence experience.
• Lean Practitioner / Continuous Improvement certification preferred.
• Green Belt certification preferred.
• Ability to coach, teach, mentor, and facilitate practical learning
• Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, Daily Management, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, SMED, and structured problem solving.
• Manufacturing site leadership.
• Experience with project benefits tracking, and digital / Industry 4.0 improvement approaches.
• Availability for travel up to 20% of the time.

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