Lean Leader, Asset Maintenance Enabler

Lean Leader / Asset Maintenance Enabler

The Lean Leader / Asset Maintenance Enabler is responsible for enabling stable, reliable, and predictable asset performance by embedding Lean principles, Daily Management, and Lean Leader Standard Work across Asset Maintenance.

This role builds Lean leadership capability within Asset Maintenance—supervisors, planners, technicians, engineers, and job experts—so that equipment reliability, maintenance execution, and risk control are owned and sustained by the line organization.

Key Accountabilities

• Asset Reliability & Daily Management Enablement
• Stabilize Daily Management routines across AM Tier 1–3 (SQDC, Tier meetings, escalation).
• Coach AM leaders on Leader Standard Work, reliability reviews, and follow-up discipline.
• Improve asset reliability and maintenance execution across RTGs, RS, TTs, CHE, and supporting equipment.
• Reduce variability impacting availability, breakdowns, backlog, PM compliance, and MEX performance.
• Lean Leadership Capability Building
• Develop AM supervisors, planners, technicians, and engineers in SQDC, Daily Management, Standard Work, and A3/PDCA.
• Coach leaders to own reliability problems rather than escalate solutions.
• Reinforce consistency, accountability, and execution discipline across shifts and crafts.
• Kaizen & Problem-Solving Enablement
• Enable and support AM-led Kaizens aligned with MEX roadmap, AM DM priorities, and PD commitments.
• Ensure Kaizens are connected to SQDC gaps (reliability, safety, cost, delivery).
• Support impact validation (performance & financial) jointly with Finance.
• ABS & Lean Maturity Deployment (AM)
• Support ABS maturity uplift within Asset Maintenance (Daily Management, Standard Work, Problem Solving).
• Reinforce Leader-Led GEMBA focused on safety, reliability risks, defect elimination, and standard adherence.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Collaborate closely with Operations, HSSE, Procurement, Planning, Finance, and Engineering to ensure maintenance improvements translate into operational stability and productivity.

Required Education, Experience & Competencies

Education/Certifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Logistics, Maintenance, or a related technical field preferred.
• Equivalent practical experience in operational or maintenance leadership may be considered.
• Certifications: Continuous Improvement / Operational Excellence, Reliability, Maintenance, or Engineering
• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in: Operations, logistics, terminals, manufacturing, industrial maintenance, or high-variability environments, in Asset Maintenance, Engineering, Reliability, or high-variability industrial environment
• Proven experience in: Enabling Daily Management systems, coaching frontline and middle management and working in 24/7 operational environments
• Experience enabling Daily Management and maintenance execution routines.
• Experience coaching frontline and middle management.
• Familiarity with ports, terminals, logistics, manufacturing, transportation, industrial maintenance, or similarly complex, asset-intensive environments strongly preferred.
• Exposure to unionized work environments is an advantage.
• Strong coaching and facilitation skills.
• Ability to influence without authority.
• Structured, data-driven problem-solving mindset.
• Comfortable operating at GEMBA (workshops, yards, equipment areas).
• English language native or fluent.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lean Practitioner Advance and Project Management certification (PMP or equivalent)

Success Indicators (Annual)

• Stable AM Tier routines.
• Reduced breakdowns, backlog, and maintenance-driven variability.
• Improved PM compliance, work order discipline, and MEX performance.
• AM leaders independently owning SQDC and problem solving.
• Kaizens with validated reliability, cost, and performance impact.
• ABS maturity uplift within Asset Maintenance.

Work Environment & Schedule:

• This is an on-site role based at APM Terminals Elizabeth.
• Work is primarily dayshift; however:
• Flexibility to support all shifts, including nights or weekends as needed, is expected.
• Regular presence at GEMBA (yard, equipment areas, workshops, control rooms) is required.

Dimensions:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk both short and long distances; use hands to handle or feel; speak to and hear others. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and work at a computer terminal. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Work is mostly performed outdoors. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may have to withstand exposure to outdoor/adverse working conditions. Required to drive within the terminal yard to work with labor, stand for long periods of time and be able to sit for long periods of time to patrol trucks. The employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; extreme cold. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; extreme heat and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is occasionally noisy. Employees must comply with all HSSE and PPE requirements at all time

Job Type: Full Time (Day Shift - Flexibility required)

Pay Range: $91,700 - $130,000

Glossary of Acronyms

• Lean: Continuous Improvement operating system focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• SQDC: Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost.
• GEMBA: The place where value is created (operations / shop floor).
• PDCA: Plan–Do–Check–Act problem-solving cycle.
• Standard Work: The agreed best-known method to perform a task safely and consistently.
• Kaizen: Continuous, incremental improvement.
• MEX (AM role): Maintenance Excellence roadmap.
• CMPH / OEE (OPS role): Productivity and equipment performance indicators.