Project Manager of Lean Excellence

Position Title:
Project Manager of Lean Excellence

Pay Rate :
$137,400 - $185,000
Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.

Category/Shift :
Salaried Full-Time

Physical Location :
Remote
or
6400 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN

The Job You Will Perform:
This position requires 90% travel
The Project Manager of Lean Excellence will propagate scalable operational improvement across the Containerboard business through lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution. The Lean Leader will serve as a hands-on change agent, partnering with mill teams to deploy lean tools and methodologies, lead Kaizen events, and embed standard work and problem-solving capabilities into daily operations.
The ideal candidate will have significant and relevant direct manufacturing experience using and leading continuous improvement tools, systems, and methodologies. The candidate must be a proven shop floor leader who is comfortable influencing others, coaching teams, and delivering measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery and cost.
Key Responsibilities

- Implement lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED and Value Stream Mapping

- Drive waste elimination, process flow optimization, and variation reduction

- Facilitate structured problem solving using A3, DMAIC, 5-Why, RCFA, and similar methodologies

- Deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost

Process Optimization & Execution

- Use data to identify gaps in performance versus best practices and work with the mill team to execute an improvement plan

- Document best practices and share improvements to leverage results

- Understand and apply financial drivers and key performance indicators

Culture & Capability Building

- Assist with implementing and managing systems that will sustain improvement efforts

- Lead and coach CI events / kaizen through hands-on participation

- Assist with developing and effectively delivering training materials in multiple formats to ensure team members throughout the organization are trained in CI concepts and philosophy

- Evaluate and drive opportunities for appropriate CI and lean tool applications

- Provide support, assistance, and communication to the mill leadership teams regarding CI initiatives

The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring:

- Bachelor's degree preferred in business, engineering, operations management, or related field

- Minimum 5 years of continuous manufacturing experience with proven change leadership skills

- Demonstrated success utilizing and deploying lean tools

- Strong analytical, facilitation, coaching and change leadership skills

- Ability to influence without formal authority across multiple functions

- Proficiency with Microsoft Office