About the job Continuous Improvement Specialist
The statements below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and skills required of associates so classified.
USALCO, LLC is a major unit within the manufacturing network of a leading provider of aluminum-based component products used in water treatment, pulp and paper manufacturing, the making of catalysts for oil refining, the housing market and other sectors. The right individual will have a can-do attitude, the ability to be part of a team while operating independently, and consistently performs to very high standards.
An excellent career opportunity awaits as the Continuous Improvement Specialist, of USALCOs business, which is headquartered in Baltimore, MD. This position will report to the Vice President of Continuous Improvement & Transformation and will be responsible for fostering a culture of sustainable change through the creation and embedding of Lean/CI methodology and the supporting framework to deliver business impact. This position will play a critical role in the strategy and deployment.
JOB SUMMARY:
The successful candidate will serve as a subject matter authority and partner with leadership to drive lean CI activities. Be a passionate and agile leader, who strives to deliver superior value to our internal and external customers every day. This hand-on position requires dynamic leadership, excellent interpersonal skills, problem solving, critical thinking, a solid command of key Lean tools as well as a compelling drive to see the organization succeed.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBITIES:
- Meeting all safety requirements of USALCO for the job functions being performed and ensuring that reporting personnel and contractors under your supervision follow all OSHA and safety standards.
- Using a continuous improvement mindset to help increase safety, quality, profitability, efficiency and productivity through technology, personnel training and process improvement.
- Partner with the leadership team to develop and implement the plan for continuous improvement within the overall framework of our Lean Operating System and deployment roadmap
- Influence all levels of the organization, including Senior Leaders, Functional Leaders, project Managers, and practitioners, using effective coaching and mentoring skills to foster a supportive environment for growth and improvement.
- Challenge current thinking to drive higher level of sustainable results
- Improve/install tiered visual and daily management reporting systems to enable effective management of factory
- Charter, plan and Facilitate kaizen events to drive immediate, sustainable improvements on the shop floor
- Analyze and improve transaction-based processes to identify sources of waste and productivity improvements for increased efficiency and cost savings
- Grow organizational Continuous Improvement muscle by establishing a team of certified practitioners and driving Lean Conversion across the operations with our organizational partners.
- Coaching, building and growing skills and capabilities of others in Lean methods and Continuous improvement
- Deliver formal and informal training on key Lean and CI tools including Daily Management, Problem Solving, 6S, Setup reduction, Kanban, OEE, line efficiency
- Demonstrate Knowledge sharing (leading practices, bench marking) from across Waters and outside of organization
- Drive targeted, sustainable improvement in SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity) that is tied to company objectives
- Managing the kaizen funnel tool and certified practitioner funnel to strengthen connections between customer-facing metrics and continuous process improvement efforts.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of business goals and objectives.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
The successful candidate will have 5 plus progressive experience in manufacturing environment.
Specifically, the candidate should:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, or a related field
- A passion for Continuous Improvement
- Lean Certified with a minimum of 3 years in implementing Lean Tools
- Hands-on Gemba experience driving kaizen facilitation and leadership using lean tools. (Visual Daily Management, Problem Solving Process, Value Stream Mapping, Dynamic Kanban, Lean Conversion, Standard Work, 6S, TPM, 5 Why etc.)
- Strong analytical skills, MS Excel proficiency, ERP knowledge, interpersonal, managerial, and facilitation skills, including public speaking and moderating.
- Have well developed verbal and written communications skills.
- Ability to travel up to 25-50% to support business
Preferred:
- Advanced degree
- Six-Sigma Green or Black Belt certification
- Aptean ROSS ERP experience
- Skilled in influencing cultural change and problem resolution
- Assessing, Identifying and resolve root causes of problems and inconsistencies.
- Previous experience in Chemical manufacturing.
USALCO is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. As a general policy, USALCO does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.