Continuous Improvement Specialist

Position: Continuous Improvement Specialist

Position Type: Direct Hire

Location: Newaygo, MI

Pay: $90-100k

Shift: 8am-5pm

Position Summary Continuous Improvement Specialist:

Contributor of various disciplines who works as a change agent for operational excellence. Responsible to manage risk, set direction and lead the way to breakthrough improvement. Assist the operation in making paradigm shifts through continuous improvement activities. Responsible to encourage and stimulate management/employee thinking by posing new ways of doing things, challenge conventional wisdom by demonstrating successful application of new methodologies, seek out and pilot new tools, create innovative thinking.

Requirements Continuous Improvement Specialist:

• Works with management to identify and establish project selection criteria with an emphasis on overall process and quality improvement.
• Develop and manage cross-functional teams and Continuous Improvement project leaders to meet project objectives.
• Monitors for the productivity of groups and individuals recommend changes where desirable. Provides leadership and support to the team.
• Leads long-term projects aimed at waste elimination/production efficiencies and establishment of Lean Manufacturing areas in conjunction with manufacturing sites.
• Subject matter may include plant floor layout, material-handling routes, service parts, and key future launches
• Facilitates continuous improvement project teams to continuously improve processes and give support to areas within the organization. Based upon management requests, leads employees through workshops designed to improve work processes to reduce cycle time, inventory, labor hours, scrap, etc.
• Creates and/or facilitates process design changes by integrating new systems and/or processes with existing ones.
• Provides guidance to Group Leaders and other project staff as needed to develop a team-based organization focused on project goals and objectives.
• Identify problems in a process, establish and manage projects within the process, evaluate the process and develop potential solutions to improve the process.
• Apply principles of statistical process control when appropriate. Identifies opportunities for common mistake proofing.
• Develop performance measurement tracking mechanism to support project objectives.
• Review management reports to ensure projects achieve stated goals and support business objectives. Able to take an organization to the upper/top performers.

Position Requirements of the Continuous Improvement Specialist:

• Demonstrated strong communication skills to work with internal and external contacts at all levels within the organization. Able to represent the company in a professional manner with customers, internal Magna personnel and others including potentially suppliers.
• Strong negotiating and communication skills, both written and verbal. Must be able to work with peers in a positive, cooperative way and maintain productive relationships with key functional areas.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills in support of company management systems and philosophies.
• Must be able to develop and lead a cohesive team.
• Demonstrated skills in using a variety of tools and the ability to teach these to others.
• Ability to make high impact gains quickly in a lead by example manner that builds successfully momentum and value, resulting in the ability to change and impact the plant culture toward true embracing and buy-in values and principles.

Education and Experience of the Continuous Improvement Specialist:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent), and a minimum of 5 years' experience is required.
• Specific degree requirements will vary based on area supported but professional and managerial experience including management leadership, and strategic decision making/leadership in a manufacturing environment lean capacity will stand out and set a candidate apart.
• Six Sigma Certification or Equivalent.

About Spark Talent Acquisition:

Spark Talent Acquisition is a Michigan-headquartered recruiting and staffing company that connects great talent with great employers. We understand that building the right team is vital to success. Listening to our clients and creating customized workforce strategies is at the core of what we do. We pride ourselves in team development as it matches our purpose as an organization to help people grow.