Continuous Improvement Manager

The ACS Group is a privately held company that designs and manufactures one of the most comprehensive lines of auxiliary products for the plastics industry and other process industries. The ACS Group offers an expansive product line, which includes size reduction equipment (granulators and shredders), material conveying equipment, metering and blending devices, mold temperature control units, chillers, and drying systems.
 
ACS Group has manufacturing facilities in New Berlin, Wisconsin and Wabash, Indiana with a third facility located in Suzhou, China to handle the needs of the Asian market.

The Continuous Improvement Manager is accountable for overseeing and managing ACS continuous improvement initiatives which will result in reductions in manufacturing costs and lead time, and improvements in safety, quality and working capital. This individual is responsible for training, implementing cost reductions, leading kaizen events, implementing process improvement projects, capital projects and providing direction for improvement activities to support the manufacturing goals and objectives of the corporation.

A successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Managing the planning, facilitation and completion of manufacturing systems projects to support the cost reduction objectives of the company.  Accountable for driving projects which will deliver a minimum of 3% in annual cost savings. 
• Responsibilities encompass capital projects, major manufacturing projects, kaizen activity as well as quick hit improvement activities.
• Work closely with the ACS President, VP-Operations, and Operations staff to identify improvement projects and cost reduction objectives.
• Coordinate maintenance, manufacturing engineering and project managers to ensure program goals and objectives are achieved.
• Work closely with the quality department, supply chain and sourcing to support quality, inventory and materials cost reduction goals and improvements.
• Train and mentor process owners in the use of problem solving tools, lean manufacturing approaches and techniques to create process management and measurement systems and develop a continuous improvement mindset at the department and plant level.
• Lead and facilitate the management team in identifying and prioritizing opportunities to improve productivity throughout the entire value stream including administrative processes.
• Lead and manage CI team members and assure their development in the utilization of lean tools and techniques

A qualified candidate will be pro-active, dedicated, and possess these basic requirements:
 

Excellent at determining the processes necessary to get things accomplished; knows how to organize resources and activities; understands how to separate and combine tasks into efficient work flow; knows what to measure and how to measure it; can see opportunities for synergy and integration; can simplify complex processes; and gets more out of fewer resources.

• Exemplary personal and communication skills to effectively manage improvement program objectives and projects using cross functional teams.
• Strong presentation and time management skills.
• Excellent project management, analytical, systematic problem solving and facilitation skills.
• Able to handle multiple, complex priorities and balance the needs of each according to business impact.
• Self-starter and able to effectively lead cross-functional teams.
• Must be willing to travel as required.
• Minimum of a Bachelors Degree - engineering or related field desired.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office.
• 7+ years of manufacturing experience with demonstrated project management and process improvement experience.
• Strong working knowledge and experience in 6S, Total Productive Maintenance, Single Minute Exchange of Die, 8D and 5 Why problem solving techniques, line balancing and standard work, waste identification and elimination, toll gated new product development processes, material pull systems, Statistical Process Control, error proofing, value stream mapping, visual management techniques, and Failure Mode and Effects analysis.
• Willingness to travel and support all ACS sites up to 50%