Lean Six Sigma Program Manager

A rapidly growing manufacturer in the clean energy and advanced technology sector is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to drive Lean and Six Sigma initiatives across its North American operations. This role is integral to building the company’s internal excellence systems, optimizing cross-functional workflows, and supporting strategic deployment through process improvement, training, and enterprise-wide collaboration.

This position is ideal for a hands-on Lean expert who thrives in a dynamic, innovation-focused manufacturing environment and is passionate about shaping systems that reduce waste, improve efficiency, and elevate operational performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead cross-functional Lean Six Sigma projects aligned with strategic goals; manage initiatives with significant financial and operational impact.

Facilitate annual strategy deployment and improvement planning cycles (e.g., Hoshin Kanri or equivalent methodologies).

Conduct value stream mapping, kaizen events, and root cause analysis (RCA) across engineering, production, supply chain, and quality teams.

Deliver Lean and Six Sigma training (White through Green Belt, with involvement in Black Belt content), coach team members through project execution and certification.

Guide site-level and corporate teams through Lean Six Sigma implementation, tracking KPIs, and measuring program maturity.

Integrate continuous improvement systems with MES and business intelligence tools; develop dashboards and automated reporting tools in collaboration with IT.

Support CAPA efforts (A3, Apollo, 5 Whys) and partner with Quality and Engineering to eliminate recurring issues and drive design-for-manufacturing improvements.

Benchmark internal and external best practices; apply learnings to strengthen systems and build a performance-driven culture.

Travel to support training and project leadership across multiple sites as needed.

Qualifications:

Required:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (Engineering preferred).

Minimum 7 years in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, or Quality, with at least 5 years in a company with a formal Lean Six Sigma program.

3+ years of project management experience leading cross-functional initiatives.

Demonstrated success driving results through Lean tools (VSM, Kaizen, 5S, SMED, TPM) and Six Sigma methodology (DMAIC).

Comfortable managing large project portfolios and coaching others through certification.

Proficiency in Minitab and Microsoft Office suite; familiarity with ERP and BI tools (e.g., Power BI).

Strong facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred:

Lean certification; Six Sigma Green or Black Belt strongly preferred.

Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2) is a plus.

Experience working with strategy deployment models and metrics development.

Compensation & Benefits:

$85,000–$120,000 annually, based on experience

Paid time off (vacation, sick, holidays)

401(k) with employer match

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health Savings Account options

Tuition reimbursement program

Employee recognition and clean energy product discounts

Growth opportunities in a mission-driven, sustainability-focused industry