Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement

PCI Pharma Services; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 134,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) plan

Job summary

PCI Pharma Services in San Diego, CA seeks a Sr. Continuous Improvement Manager to lead hands-on process improvements across manufacturing and business processes. You will apply Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC/PDCA to deliver efficiency, quality, and cost gains while partnering with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance.

The role reports to the Site Leader and participates in the Site Leadership Team, driving cross-functional CI initiatives and governance to sustain gains.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Mechanical/Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required.
• 8–10 years in manufacturing, operations, or process engineering.
• 3+ years leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience with process mapping, root cause analysis, OEE, and Lean systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end process analysis, mapping, and redesign initiatives.
• Identify bottlenecks and variability drivers in workflows.
• Develop and implement process control strategies to reduce waste and improve stability.
• Apply statistical analysis and data modeling to validate improvements.
• Optimize cycle time, yield, OEE, capacity, and labor efficiency.
• Drive standard work creation and process documentation discipline.
• Lead Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and root cause investigations.
• Deploy Lean, Six Sigma, and PDCA/A3 problem solving.

Skills

Process mapping

Value stream mapping

Root cause analysis

OEE improvements

Lean manufacturing

Data-driven problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Data visualization tools

Job description

Life changing therapies. Global impact. Bridge to thousands of biopharma companies and their patients. We are PCI. Our investment is in People who make an impact, drive progress and create a better tomorrow. Our strategy includes building teams across our global network to pioneer and shape the future of PCI.

Job Description

Summary of Objective

The Sr. Continuous Improvement Manager is a hands-on operational leader responsible for driving measurable performance improvements across manufacturing and business processes. This role requires a strong foundation in process engineering, data-driven problem solving, and Lean methodologies. The ideal candidate combines deep technical process expertise with structured continuous improvement leadership to deliver sustainable gains in efficiency, quality, cost, and throughput. This role works cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance to design, optimize, standardize, and control critical processes. This role will serve a member of the Site Leadership Team and dotted line into the Site Leader

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Create in conjunction with the Global OPEX Director / Site Leader, the lean vision for the site and implement the Lean Maturity Index to establish an Operational Center of excellence.
• Facilitate and Coach A3 projects, cross functional kaizen events and multi practitioner teams to drive best practice in process improvement.

Process Engineering & Optimization

• Lead end-to-end process analysis, mapping, and redesign initiatives.
• Identify bottlenecks, constraints, and variability drivers in manufacturing and operational workflows.
• Develop and implement process control strategies to reduce waste and improve stability.
• Apply statistical analysis and data modeling to validate improvements.
• Optimize cycle time, yield, OEE, capacity utilization, and labor efficiency.
• Drive standard work creation and process documentation discipline.

Continuous Improvement Leadership

• Lead Kaizen events, value stream mapping sessions, and root cause investigations.
• Deploy Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies (DMAIC, PDCA, A3).
• Establish KPIs and dashboards to track improvement initiatives.
• Build a continuous improvement roadmap aligned with business objectives.
• Mentor and coach supervisors, engineers, and frontline leaders in CI tools.
• Ensure sustainability of improvements through governance and audit systems.
• Partner with SLT to manage organizational change and increase adoption of process improvements.

Data & Performance Management

• Analyze process data to identify trends, variability, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop financial justifications and ROI models for improvement initiatives.
• Track cost savings, productivity gains, and quality improvements.
• Present performance results to senior leadership.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
• 8-10 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or process engineering.
• 3+ years leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong hands-on experience with:
• Process mapping & value stream mapping
• Root cause analysis (A3, 5-Why, Fishbone)
• OEE and productivity improvement
• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and efficiency gains.
• Experience implementing Lean manufacturing systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification.
• Experience in high-volume or complex manufacturing environments within Food industry, Aerospace, Pharmaceutical or other GMP industries.
• Experience with ERP/MES systems and data visualization tools.
• Project management certification (PMP a plus)

The base salary hiring range for this position is $133,920 - $150,660 plus eligibility for an annual performance bonus. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including but not limited to specific and relevant experience, education, credentials, geography, and subject matter expertise. PCI offers full-time employees a competitive benefits package that includes paid time off, health insurance coverage (including dental and vision), flexible spending account, and 401(k).

Join us and be part of building the bridge between life changing therapies and patients. Let’s talk future

PCI Pharma Services is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or domestic or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, disability, military eligibility or veteran status, or any other protected status.

At PCI, Equity and Inclusion are at the core of our company’s purpose: Together, delivering life-changing therapies. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace by holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of understanding, fairness, respect, and equal opportunity – at every level. We envision a PCI community where everyone can belong and grow, and we strive to bring this vision to reality by continuously and intentionally assessing our people practices, policies and programs, marketing approach, and workplace culture.