Director of Continuous Improvement and Quality (CIQ)
Job Summary:
The Director of Continuous Improvement Quality (CIQ) leads initiatives aimed at reducing costs, eliminating waste, improving customer satisfaction, reducing product defects, and increasing market share. This position is responsible for overseeing all Continuous Improvement (CI) and Quality strategies within the company. The role requires deep expertise in industrial manufacturing and/or supply chain process improvement, as well as experience in Lean, Six Sigma, and other CI principles. The Director will ensure that improvement projects are executed efficiently, driving a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Set high standards for accountability and results orientation across the department.
Hire, train, and oversee the daily workflow of CI and Quality teams.
Conduct timely and constructive performance evaluations.
Handle employee discipline and terminations in line with company policy.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
Lead a continuous improvement culture by prioritizing and executing Lean transformation strategies.
Drive plant cost-saving initiatives through Lean methodologies.
Oversee cross-functional CI initiatives linked to annual strategic priorities.
Guide, host, and support kaizen events to improve productivity and drive growth.
Collaborate with leadership to foster a culture of Lean thinking and quality improvement.
Work closely with finance to evaluate project savings, validate reported improvements, and ensure accurate quality productivity accounting.
Stay current with management and process optimization trends and developments.
Implement quality improvement strategies to enhance product offerings and processes.
Lead customer-focused quality improvement initiatives to boost satisfaction and competitiveness.
Develop, publish, and monitor quality metrics to ensure effectiveness in achieving goals.
Use root cause analysis to address and resolve quality issues, applying lessons learned across business units.
Foster strong internal relationships and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Provide progress updates to executive leadership, communicating progress on CI and Quality projects.
Establish KPIs (e.g., Cost of Poor Quality) to measure performance, identify opportunities, and drive improvement projects.
Ensure compliance with budget constraints while driving continuous quality improvements through audits, process control, statistical analysis, and other tools.
Required Skills/Abilities:
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Process Management, Operations, Industrial Engineering, or a related field (Master's preferred).
10+ years of experience in Industrial Manufacturing, with deep expertise in CI strategies such as Lean and Six Sigma.
Six Sigma Black Belt (preferred).
Strong leadership, coaching, and presentation skills.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.
Ability to manage priorities in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
Proven experience in project management and process optimization.
Thorough understanding of quality systems, products, and logistics.