Manufacturing Process Improvement Manager

Job description

Manufacturing Process Improvement Manager

Location: Virginia Beach, VA Job Type: Full-Time Salary: Starting at $85,000/year; higher salary available based on experience

Position Overview

We are seeking a Manufacturing Process Improvement Manager to lead continuous improvement efforts across manufacturing and operations. This position focuses on improving productivity, labor efficiency, cycle times, quality, safety, and on-time delivery through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving .

This is a hands-on leadership role that works directly with production teams and leadership to identify problems, improve processes, and establish sustainable solutions.

Key Responsibilities - Lead and manage continuous improvement initiatives aligned with operational goals. - Identify opportunities to improve processes, productivity, workflow, and cost efficiency. - Facilitate Kaizen events, process improvement workshops, and root cause analysis . - Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, value stream mapping, and change management methodologies. - Analyze processes and operational data to identify bottlenecks, waste, and improvement opportunities. - Develop and implement practical, sustainable process improvements on the manufacturing floor. - Train, coach, and mentor employees on CI tools and techniques. - Establish and monitor KPIs to measure improvement results and program performance. - Track labor efficiency, cycle time, quality, safety, and delivery improvements. - Present project results, recommendations, and progress to plant and senior leadership. - Partner with multiple departments to build engagement and accountability around improvement initiatives. - Support all shifts as needed to implement and sustain improvement projects. - Evaluate workflow and capital investment opportunities that can improve labor efficiency. - Ensure improvement activities support safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Management, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field ; equivalent experience may be considered. - 5+ years of experience leading or implementing continuous improvement programs in a manufacturing environment. - Experience in engineer-to-order, fabrication, industrial, or manufacturing operations preferred. - Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification strongly preferred. - Proven ability to lead improvement projects with measurable operational results. - Strong knowledge of Lean principles, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Kaizen, and change management . - Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret operational data. - Strong leadership and ability to influence teams across departments and organizational levels. - Excellent presentation, communication, facilitation, and training skills . - Strong project management, organization, and time management skills. - Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office . - Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. - Self-motivated, analytical, and committed to safety, quality, accountability, and operational excellence .

Work & Physical Requirements - Regularly walk the production floor and interact with manufacturing teams. - Ability to stand, bend, and move throughout manufacturing areas during assessments and improvement activities. - Occasionally lift up to 50 lbs. - Ability to support multiple shifts and work flexible hours when improvement initiatives require it. - Comfortable working in both office and manufacturing environments .

This is an opportunity to take ownership of manufacturing improvement initiatives, work directly with operations teams, and deliver measurable gains in efficiency, quality, safety, and overall plant performance.