Staff Continuous Improvement Professional

Staff Continuous Improvement Professional

Crayola has inspired children to express their creativity since 1903. Crayolians take pride in fulfilling our mission of helping parents and educators raise creatively alive children around the world. Join our team and be part of an iconic brand that develops quality art products and experiences that are loved by families and preferred by teachers. Our company culture is mission focused, and encourages fun, collaboration, transparency, and helping others. Crayola believes our workforce benefits from a broad spectrum of diverse ideas and perspectives which enables us to understand our consumers better.

This role leads operational excellence initiatives while enabling practical, responsible use of AI across the manufacturing organization. Identifies opportunities to streamline processes, reduce waste, and improve service levels through the Crayola Operating System (Safety, Quality, Operational Excellence, Maintenance Excellence). Manages training and development through planning, creating and implementing development programs and initiatives, including individual manufacturing development paths, machine and technical skills. Coaches and develops CI pillar Leads. Manages temporary CI resources. Develops a common Continuous Improvement culture to exceed customer expectations & deliver business results. The role partners across functions to translate business needs into measurable improvement initiatives, establish governance, support adoption, and ensure teams are equipped to use AI effectively and responsibly.

Work directly with department leader(s) (VP, GM, Directors, etc.) to implement the Crayola Operating System in assigned areas of coaching (within & outside Operations)

Coach Crayola Operating System for 100+ employees.

Project Manage 20+ improvement projects (planning what projects to execute through completion & benefit tracking).

Lead teams in cross-functional work processes, root cause process issues, extended value streams and supply chains that directly impact goal of $2,000,000.

Lead and manage a portfolio of continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, efficiency, cost, service, and risk reduction. Analyze current-state processes, identify root causes of performance gaps, and design scalable improvements using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar methodologies.

Work with CI Professionals and organization managers on standard work, standard work audits, standard work results & standard work improvement.

Work with coordinators aligning development plans with SOP's & standard work checklist.

Facilitate workshops, value stream mapping sessions, and cross-functional problem-solving efforts to improve workflows and decision-making.

Partner with operations stakeholders to identify high-value AI use cases and prioritize opportunities based on impact, feasibility, and risk.

Support the evaluation, pilot, and rollout of AI-enabled tools and automations that improve productivity, accuracy, and user experience.

Coach teams and leaders on continuous improvement disciplines, data-driven decision-making, and practical application of AI in day-to-day operations.

Minimum 5 years of Continuous Improvement experience

Must be able to work 8+ hours on second and/or third shift per week.

Experience supporting technology adoption, automation, analytics, or AI-related initiatives in a business environment.

Black Belt Certification preferred.

Bachelor's degree preferred

Proven leadership in a cross-functional team environment

Demonstrated problem-solving capability.

Able to engage in positive critical thinking and take proactive actions.

Demonstrates exceptional communication skills.

Must have strong computer skills including Minitab, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint

Ability to travel domestic/internationally 10-15%

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands and fingers to operate, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Kid Inspired Culture

Free Admission to Crayola Experience for Employees

Community Volunteerism Opportunities

Annual Bonus Potential for all Full-Time Employees

Company Matched 401k & Employee Value Sharing Plan

Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits for Eligible Employees

Education Assistance Program

Wellness Programs

Employee Resource Groups

Generous Product Discounts Onsite & Online

Company Sponsored Employee Events

Discounts on a wide variety of products and services automotive, electronics, fitness, travel and entertainment

Green is our favorite color! Crayola cares about the environment and responsibly makes the products you love. Learn more about Crayola's creative solutions for greener tomorrows.