Head of Continuous Improvement

Head of Continuous Improvement at Castle Alliance, Inc. Head of Continuous Improvement at Castle Alliance, Inc. in CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Posted in 4 days ago.

Type:

full-time

Job Description:

Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement Waterloo, Iowa | On-Site | Full Relocation Provided

THE OPPORTUNITY

Publicly traded, North American manufacturer ($3B in annual revenue, ~12,000 employees, 20+ manufacturing facilities) is hiring the top continuous improvement leader for its largest and most operationally complex campus. The site supports approximately 700 employees across 32 buildings and produces over 8.8 million active SKUs, an order of magnitude beyond any other site in the network. CI is a strategic priority for the enterprise. Performance and progress are visible to the VP of CI, EVP of Operations, and CEO. The campus is in the middle of a transformation cycle, including $18M in active CAPEX, an enterprise-wide cost reduction initiative, and a major two-plant consolidation. The company is also executing a sizable strategic combination that will materially expand its manufacturing footprint and revenue base. The company has a strong track record of internal promotion. The defined path from this role runs through Director, General Manager, and Executive level positions.

THE ROLE

The top CI leader on the campus reports to the Director of Continuous Improvement. Two direct reports. Supporting two additional Iowa manufacturing sites within driving distance. Owns the strategy, deployment, and sustainment of the enterprise production system across all three facilities, with direct accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and culture outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead enterprise deployment of the company's lean production system across all assigned facilities, ensuring consistent application, disciplined execution, and measurable business impact Lead large-scale, cross-functional improvement initiatives with full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and working capital Plan, lead, and govern kaizen events, value stream transformations, and Future State designs, ensuring execution discipline and long-term sustainment Hold operations leadership accountable for execution of Future State plans through rigorous follow-up, performance reviews, and escalation as needed Coach plant managers and senior operations leaders, strengthening leadership capability in lean principles and structured problem solving Identify, evaluate, and lead implementation of new technologies, equipment, systems, and process innovations Develop and mentor CI leaders, building internal capability and succession Champion a zero-incident safety culture through site-specific strategies and visible leadership engagement

REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or professional manufacturing certification preferred 10+ years of leadership experience in a manufacturing organization Strong track record of transforming operations: building teams, managing change, streamlining processes, and driving safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvements Highly developed problem solving and project management skills Demonstrated facilitation and change management capability Strong lean manufacturing experience with shop-floor application and executive communication ability CI or operational excellence experience across more than one organization

SUCCESS FACTORS

Hands-on, shop-floor leadership role. Significant time spent on the production floor coaching leaders, observing processes, and driving kaizen. This is not a corporate staff position. The workforce is high-tenured. Credibility is built through presence, competence, and follow-through, not title or methodology alone. The environment requires comfort with ambiguity, failure, and adaptation. Leaders who require perfect data or rigid structure before acting will struggle. Communication across all levels, from hourly operators to senior executives, is essential. Accountability is a defining expectation.

COMPENSATION

Base salary: $130,000 to $150,000, with flexibility for a very strong candidate

Bonus:

17% target with upside, recent payouts at or above target Full relocation Comprehensive benefits package

LOCATION & TRAVEL

Full-time, on-site in Waterloo, Iowa. 10 to 15% travel to two supporting Iowa sites within driving distance. No remote or hybrid arrangement.