Plant Lean Excellence Leader

International Paper; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

International Paper is seeking a Lean Excellence Manager to build and sustain Lean practices at a plant level across the U.S. manufacturing network. You will establish daily management, lead performance analysis, and drive continuous improvement with supervisors and operators on the shop floor.

You will use 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED and Value Stream Mapping to reduce waste and accelerate reliable, safe production while growing Lean capability across teams.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years in a manufacturing environment, ideally in operations, engineering, process improvement, or a plant-based role.
• Experience identifying problems, taking action, and improving performance.
• Ability to build relationships and influence others without formal authority.
• Strong follow-through and persistence in resolving issues and commitments.
• Ability to use data and facts to understand issues and make recommendations.
• Self-directed, action-oriented approach to work.
• Ability to communicate with operators, supervisors, and plant leaders.
• Willingness to work 100% in a manufacturing environment and spend significant time on the plant floor.

Responsibilities

• Help establish and sustain daily management practices, including tiered meetings, Gemba, visual management, and effective shift-to-shift communication.
• Spend significant time on the plant floor working with teams to understand performance and turn priorities into action.
• Use data and structured problem solving to identify root causes and improve speed-to-fix.
• Drive follow-through on open actions and commitments to sustain improvements.
• Coach and support teams as they build stronger problem-solving and continuous improvement capability.
• Apply and develop your Lean knowledge including 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED and Value Stream Mapping.
• Partner with Plant Manager and Lean Excellence leaders to support Lean deployment and measurable improvements across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and engagement.
• Capture and share effective practices as the Lean system expands across IP.

Skills

Lean methodology

Six Sigma

Kaizen

5S

Value Stream Mapping

Continuous Improvement

Data‑driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Job description

International Paper is seeking a Lean Excellence Manager to build and sustain Lean practices at a plant level across the U.S. manufacturing network. You will establish daily management, lead performance analysis, and drive continuous improvement with supervisors and operators on the shop floor.

You will use 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED and Value Stream Mapping to reduce waste and accelerate reliable, safe production while growing Lean capability across teams.