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Continuous Improvement Manager/ Lean Lead

Sumitomo Drive Technologies

Sumitomo Drive Technologies

Chesapeake, VA, USA
USD 106k-106k / year
Posted on Jul 11, 2025

Salary rate starting at $106,000; increase based on experience

Benefits include:

  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Paid Time Off- Including Volunteer Hours
  • Life and Accidental Death Insurance (Company Paid)
  • Short and Long Term Disability Insurance (Company Paid)
  • 401K, 401K Match- Access to Certified Financial Planner
  • Access to LinkedIn Learning
  • YMCA discount and more!

Purpose and Scope of Job:

The Continuous Improvement Manager/Lean Leader will serve as the SMA Lean change agent to ensure a consistent, rapid and successful deployment continuous improvement activities by using the Lean principles to train employees, develop lean transformation/continuous improvement plans addressing critical needs, identify opportunities for improvement, execute improvement projects through Kaizen facilitation and employee engagement at all levels.

Essential Functions (other duties may be assigned):

  • To assist in the development, implementation and maintenance of a ‘world class’ continuous improvement strategy.
  • Identify and deliver service improvement activities across the business through employing process improvement methodologies and the application of innovative thinking.
  • Work with key business stakeholders and other ‘LEAN champions’ to build a continuous improvement environment to support an ongoing program of change.
  • Support the delivery of better value and greater efficiency through the identification and elimination of unnecessary complexity within business processes, reduction of non-value added activities and identification of better ways of working.
  • Identify trends and process variations as part of establishing a continuous improvement monitoring system
  • Elicit requirements and drive process change using staff interviews, document analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, business analysis and workflow analysis
  • Lead Kaizen events, continuous improvement projects and other activities that execute the SMA improvement plan resulting in bottom line company results, with specific focus on achieving faster and more financially efficient processes company-wide.
  • Provide regular reports of data and actions to measure progress against objectives and remove barriers to deployment of lean/continuous improvement plan.
  • Drive the change management necessary to implement effective lean manufacturing operations.
  • Track and manage post-project implementation performance monitoring: including control plan audits, savings verification, and reporting
  • Coaches and trains plant/operations managers and coworkers on principles of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
  • Performs follow-up verification to ensure successful implementation and sustainment.
  • Responsible for supervision of our maintenance and tool crib teams.
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

  • 5-10 year’s experience implementing Lean/TPS and Six Sigma principles including 5S, SMED, Single Piece Flow, Bottleneck Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, Hoshin Kanri, Visual Management, OEE, Standardized Work, TPM in a manufacturing/assembly environment.
  • Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering, supply chain, operations or related field
  • 5 - 10 years of working knowledge and practical experience in manufacturing environment
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Master Black Belt is preferred.
  • Strong analytical and communication skills
  • Demonstrated ability to drive and manage the change process
  • Demonstrated ability with facilitating teams/groups and working with all levels of the organization
  • Proficient in operating Windows and associated Microsoft Office applications, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
  • Any additional essential skills and/or knowledge as shown in the HRIS Career & Education > Skills section for incumbents holding this job title.

Work Conditions & Physical Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Must have the ability to sit for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer terminal/typewriter; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in person and on the telephone; ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions; physical agility to lift up to 25 pounds.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed. This job description does not serve as a contract nor does it limit the employer’s ability to establish or change the content, nature, or essential functions of this job. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by management. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, reasonable accommodations will be considered for qualified individuals with a disability.