Continuous Improvement Manager

At Air Products, we reimagine what's possible. By tapping into the motivation of our people and our collective experience, we create the ideas and innovations that drive us forward. When we come together - where every voice is heard and everyone knows they belong and matter - we create solutions that launch people into space, support lifesaving care in hospitals, and enable the construction of groundbreaking, world scale production facilities.

Reimagine What's Possible

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Continuous Improvement Manager to lead the development and deployment of enterprise-wide Continuous Improvement initiatives. This role will partner closely with business leaders and Lean Six Sigma guides to drive operational quality, establish global standards and governance, and embed a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Lean Six Sigma, change management, and talent development, with experience leading teams, coaching leaders, and delivering measurable business impact through sustainable process improvement and interpersonal transformation.

What's In It for You:

At Air Products we develop a culture of inclusion where every voice is heard, and everyone feels they belong and matter. Additionally, we offer competitive pay and great benefits for our employees. Check out some of our benefits below!

• Affordable Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (day 1 of employment)
• 401k with 100% vested company core and match
• Paid Vacation, holidays + sick time
• Paid Parental leave (Up to 8 weeks)
• Backup Child and Adult Care benefit
• Adoption assistance
• Flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent daycare)
• Life Insurance (AD&D- Paid for by Air Products), Supplemental AD&D
• Legal Plan & Identity theft coverage
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Many more supplemental benefits available

Layered Continuous Improvement Program Management:

• Design and deploy a layered Continuous Improvement program that effectively engages executives, managers, supervisors, and frontline employees.
• Establish clear expectations and responsibilities for each interpersonal level to ensure ownership of Continuous Improvement activities.
• Develop management systems, visual controls, leader standard work, and review processes that reinforce accountability and sustain improvements.
• Ensure Continuous Improvement efforts are embedded within daily management systems and operational decision-making processes.
• Drive consistency in Continuous Improvement engagement, participation, and results throughout the organization.
• Supervise program performance and find opportunities to enhance effectiveness, sustainability, and cultural adoption

Continuous Improvement Strategy and Deployment

• Partner with the Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and business leaders to develop and execute a multi-year Continuous Improvement vision, strategy, and deployment roadmap.
• Establish and maintain a sustainable Continuous Improvement operating system that aligns with interpersonal goals and business priorities.
• Drive the integration of Continuous Improvement principles into business planning, operational reviews, and strategic initiatives.
• Develop maturity models, deployment plans, and performance measures that advance Continuous Improvement capability across the organization.
• Ensure alignment of Continuous Improvement activities with operational excellence, quality, safety, productivity, customer satisfaction, and growth objectives.
• Lead the evolution of Continuous Improvement from project-based activity to a culture-driven management system.

Global Governance, Standards, and Processes

• Develop, implement, and maintain global standards, methodologies, processes, and toolsets that provide consistency across businesses, functions, and regions.
• Establish governance structures that define roles, responsibilities, accountability, and performance expectations for Continuous Improvement activities.
• Implement systems to supervise Continuous Improvement adoption, effectiveness, sustainability, and business impact.
• Ensure continuous improvement initiatives are prioritized, led, and aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Benchmark industry best practices and find opportunities to strengthen the organization's Continuous Improvement framework and deployment approach.
• Serve as a steward of Continuous Improvement standards while ensuring flexibility to meet local operational requirements.

Leadership and Talent Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop local and global Continuous Improvement personnel, including Lean practitioners, Green Belts, Black Belts, and operational leaders.
• Build a comprehensive capability-development strategy that strengthens problem-solving and improvement skills across all interpersonal levels.
• Develop training curricula, certification pathways, coaching programs, and learning resources that accelerate Continuous Improvement competency.
• Establish talent pipelines and succession plans to ensure long-term organizational capability and sustainability.
• Build and lead a global community of practice that encourages partnership, best-practice sharing, and continuous learning.
• Provide direct coaching to leaders and teams to strengthen ownership, accountability, and engagement in Continuous Improvement activities.

Culture and Organizational Change

• Develop a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, engagement, and operational team throughout the organization.
• Partner with leaders to embed Continuous Improvement expectations, behaviors, and routines into daily operations.
• Support organizational change management efforts associated with Continuous Improvement deployments and business transformation initiatives.
• Further employee engagement by promoting participation in problem solving, improvement activities, Kaizen events, and operational excellence programs.
• Communicate the vision, progress, and business impact of Continuous Improvement initiatives across all levels of the organization.
• Serve as a transparent advocate for Continuous Improvement and operational perfection principles.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading global or multi-site Continuous Improvement programs.
• Validated understanding of Lean, Six Sigma, Daily Management Systems, Strategy Deployment, Visual Management, and Change Management methodologies.
• Experience developing governance models, training programs, certification frameworks, and operational perfection systems.
• Manufacturing or industrial operations experience preferred.
• Proven record to build sustainable Continuous Improvement cultures and drive long-term interpersonal transformation.

Minimum Hiring Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, Manufacturing, Quality, or a related field required.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required; Master Black Belt certification preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, or related leadership roles.
• Proven success developing and deploying enterprise-wide Continuous Improvement strategies and management systems.
• Shown experience leading organizational change, culture transformation, and capability-building initiatives.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing Continuous Improvement professionals and operational leaders.
• Strong leadership, communication, facilitation, mentoring, and change leadership skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all interpersonal levels, from frontline employees to executive leadership.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the US without current or future sponsorship (e.g. temporary work visa or work permit).

#LI-LA1

Founded in 1940, Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company and has a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, with an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. Working together, we are taking our passion and diverse backgrounds forward to reimagine what's possible and generate a cleaner future for our customers, our communities, and the world.


We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (U.S.). You will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, citizenship, gender, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or veteran status.


Air Products is committed to working with and providing a reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability and you believe you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please e-mail us at View email address on click.appcast.io. General application status inquiries are not answered by this mailbox rather you'll receive an e-mail directly from our Career Center and/or the Talent Acquisition Specialist.