Continuous Improvement Lead

Continuous Improvement Lead

Continental Tool Group | Operations – Cranberry Township, PA

Reports To: General Manager

FLSA: Non-exempt, Hourly, Full-time

Level: Senior

Direct Reports: None; leads cross-functional project teams

Position Summary

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Lead builds and runs the continuous-improvement program at CTG’s Cranberry Township, PA facility, reporting to the General Manager and partnering with Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and frontline teams. The CI Lead is accountable for measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and inventory, and for making those gains stick. This is an outcomes-based, hands-on role: success is measured by documented, sustained results, not by the number of events held or tools applied. The CI Lead spends significant time on the production floor, leads through influence rather than direct authority, and grows Lean problem-solving capability in the people who run the operation. Annual targets are set with the General Manager and evaluated on a rolling 12-month basis.

Key Outcomes — What Success Looks Like

• CI Program & Pipeline: Within 90 days, establish baseline KPIs and a prioritized project pipeline tied to plant SQDC goals; within 12 months, run a repeatable CI framework (chartering, tracking, monthly results review) embedded in the Cranberry Township operating rhythm.
• Financial Impact: Deliver finance-validated annual savings at or above the agreed target (measured as a % of COGS); every completed project has a documented baseline, result, and control plan, with gains sustained for at least 12 months.
• Productivity & Flow: Improve labor productivity, throughput, and OEE year over year; reduce manufacturing cycle time and setup/changeover time on targeted lines; improve schedule adherence and on-time delivery.
• Quality & Safety: Reduce scrap, rework, and recurring defects in targeted areas, with repeat problems closed at root cause; every layout, workstation, and process change improves or maintains safety and ergonomics, with no incidents attributable to CI changes.
• Inventory & Material Flow: Partner with Supply Chain to improve inventory turns, reduce excess and obsolete inventory, and improve material availability, replenishment, and internal logistics.
• People & Culture: Train supervisors and frontline teams in Lean and structured problem solving to an agreed annual target; increase employee-led improvements; sustain 5S, standard work, and visual management as shown by audit scores.

Core Responsibilities

• Build and own the CI program: identify and prioritize opportunities, charter projects, track progress, and report results and financial impact to the General Manager each month.
• Lead Kaizen events and Lean projects from identification through sustainment, applying 5S, value stream mapping, standard work, visual management, SMED, Kanban, and waste elimination.
• Lead structured problem solving (A3, 5-Why, Fishbone, Pareto, DMAIC) with cross-functional teams; make sure corrective actions address root causes and are locked in with control plans and follow-up.
• Analyze cycle time, labor utilization, throughput, OEE, quality, and inventory data to quantify opportunities and validate results; develop operational KPIs and visual performance-management systems.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations on layout, workstation, material-flow, tooling, and automation improvements; build ROI cases for capital projects; support new product introductions and process transfers.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Planning to apply Lean to inventory, replenishment, warehouse, purchasing, and internal-logistics processes.
• Coach supervisors, managers, and frontline employees in Lean principles and problem solving; build a culture of ownership, accountability, and fact-based decisions.

Decision Authority

Recommends and, with the General Manager, sets CI project priorities, scope, and resourcing. Leads cross-functional project teams and approves changes to standard work, layouts, and visual systems in partnership with area owners. Recommends capital and automation investments with supporting ROI. Escalates changes that affect customer commitments, product quality or safety requirements, or spending beyond delegated limits.

Education, Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of continuous-improvement, Lean manufacturing, operations, or process-improvement experience in a manufacturing environment (10+ preferred), with a record of leading complex, cross-functional projects that delivered measurable, sustained results.
• Strong command of Lean and structured problem-solving methods; hands-on experience with OEE, takt time, cycle-time analysis, line balancing, and capacity analysis. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred.
• Advanced Excel and data-analysis skills; experience with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing data.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and project-management skills; able to influence without authority and equally effective with frontline teams and senior leadership.
• Preferred: discrete manufacturing of engineered products, machinery, tools, or industrial products; multi-site or enterprise-wide improvement initiatives; automation, manufacturing engineering, or capital projects.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

Based at the Cranberry Township, PA facility. Splits time between office and the manufacturing floor, with significant time on the floor working directly with teams; occasional travel may be required. As a non-exempt position, hours worked over 40 in a workweek are paid at overtime rates. Requires prolonged standing and walking on concrete floors, the ability to lift up to 50 lbs, and use of required PPE (safety glasses, hearing protection, steel-toe footwear). Exposure to compressed-air systems, noise, oil mist, dust, and vibration. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

How Performance Will Be Measured

The CI Lead and the General Manager agree on a one-page annual scorecard that weights the outcomes above: documented CI savings vs. target (% of COGS); labor productivity, throughput, and OEE; cycle time and changeover time; scrap and rework; on-time delivery; inventory turns and E&O reduction; project completion and 12-month sustainment rate; and training completion and employee participation in improvement activities.

This job description reflects the principal outcomes and responsibilities of the role. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may be updated as business needs evolve. Continental Tool Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer.