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 tea…

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