Senior Principal, Lean Deployment

uscareers-waters; Milford (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation is seeking a senior Continuous Improvement leader for Manufacturing Operations in Milford, MA. You will champion Lean and CI methods, coach site leadership, and drive cross-functional improvements across manufacturing and back-office processes.

You will lead kaizen events, apply value stream mapping, and implement structured problem solving to deliver sustainable impact in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to engage leaders and shop floor employees in deploying lean methodologies.
• Track record of sustainable results in manufacturing/industrial settings.
• Experience deploying Lean Operating System in manufacturing with breakthrough results.
• Experience with end-to-end value stream improvement using SMED, 6S, Visual Management, Daily Management, standard work.
• Lean/Six-Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent preferred.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training/experience preferred.
• Strong leadership, bias toward action, and ability to influence at all levels.
• Competent in advanced statistical techniques; Visio and MS Office proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Partner with site leadership to develop and execute CI plans within Lean Operating System.
• Lead focused transformation efforts in key site areas.
• Apply structured problem solving and value stream mapping for analysis and planning.
• Improve visual and daily management reporting for factory oversight.
• Charter, plan, and facilitate kaizen events for immediate, sustainable shop floor improvements.
• Analyze and improve transaction-based processes to reduce waste and boost productivity.
• Deliver formal and informal training on Lean and CI tools, including Daily Management and Kanban.
• Coach and grow Lean capabilities across teams; motivate cross-functional engagement.
• Share leading practices and benchmark Waters globally to raise performance.
• Drive improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity aligned with company objectives.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Value Stream Mapping

Kaizen Events

Problem Solving

Leadership

Project Management

Statistical Analysis

Six Sigma Black Belt

PMP (preferred)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Visio

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

Waters Corporation is seeking a highly motivated and team-oriented candidate to lead our Continuous Improvement (CI) program for Manufacturing Operations based in Milford, Massachusetts. This position will be responsible for fostering a culture of sustainable change through the creation and embedding of Lean / CI methodology and the supporting framework to deliver business impact. It will play a critical role in manufacturing and back-office process improvement, along with strategy and deployment.

The successful candidate will serve as a subject matter expert, coach, and partner with site leadership to drive lean CI activities. The position will collaborate with a global peer group to promote and expand the deployment of lean and to share and standardize best practices.

The successful candidate will be a passionate and agile leader, who strives to deliver superior value to our internal and external customers every day. This hands‑on position requires dynamic leadership, excellent interpersonal skills, problem‑solving, critical thinking, a solid command of key Lean tools as well as a compelling initiative to see the organization succeed.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the site leadership team to develop and execute the plan for continuous improvement within the overall framework of our Lean Operating System and deployment roadmap.
• Lead focused transformation efforts in key areas of the site(s).
• Apply Structured Problem Solving and/or Value Stream Mapping to facilitate and lead groups through analysis, improvement planning, and implementation.
• Improve/install tiered visual and daily management reporting systems to enable effective management of the factory.
• Charter, plan, and facilitate kaizen events to drive immediate, sustainable improvements on the shop floor.
• Analyze and improve transaction-based processes to identify sources of waste and productivity improvements for increased efficiency and cost savings.
• Deliver formal and informal training on key Lean and CI tools including Daily Management, Problem Solving, 6S, Setup reduction, Kanban, OEE, and line efficiency.
• Coach, build, and grow the skills and capabilities of others in Lean methods and Continuous Improvement.
• Challenge current thinking to drive a higher level of sustainable results.
• Demonstrate knowledge sharing (leading practices, benchmarking) from across Waters and outside of the organization.

• Drive targeted, sustainable improvement in SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity) that is tied to company objectives.
• Support opportunities at other sites or outside manufacturing as appropriate.

Qualifications

• 10 + Years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment
• Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree preferred
• Ability to engage leaders and shop floor employees in deploying lean methodologies
• A track record of sustainable results
• Prior knowledge and practical experience in a manufacturing/industrial setting with a strong focus on Lean Manufacturing operations
• Experience in deploying a Lean Operating System in a manufacturing environment achieving breakthrough results in safety/quality/productivity/supply agility
• Experience with end-to-end value stream improvement with tools including, SMED, 6S, Visual Management, Daily Management, standard work, etc. preferred
• Lean/Six-Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent qualification preferred
• Strong leadership skills, self-directed and the ability to make independent decisions; Bias towards action
• Capable of positively influencing people at all levels in the organization
• Competent in the use of advanced statistical and six-sigma techniques preferred
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training and experience preferred
• Experience with Visio and Microsoft Office applications
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, verbal, written, and presentation skills
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and drive improvements
• Strong facilitation and coaching skills

Company Description

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With a focus on regulated, high-volume testing environments, our innovative portfolio harnesses deep scientific expertise across chemistry, physics, and biology. We collaborate with customers around the world to advance the release of effective, high-quality medicines, ensure the safety of food and water, and drive better patient outcomes by detecting diseases earlier, managing routine infections, and combating antibiotic resistance. Through a shared culture of relentless innovation, our passionate team of ~16,000 colleagues turn scientific challenges into breakthroughs that improve lives worldwide.

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our core values at Waters Corporation. It benefits our employees, our products, our customers and our community. Waters complies with all applicable federal, state,and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status,or any other characteristic protected by law. Waters is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.