Continuous Improvement Manager

Job Summary
The Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for driving continuous process improvement and excellence across Safran Electronics & Defense, Avionics USA, LLC (SEDA). This role involves developing and implementing clear, actionable strategies that align with overall organizational goals. The Continuous Improvement Manager will collaborate with managers and employees at various levels to achieve measurable outcomes using Lean Six Sigma (LSS) tools, methodologies, and other business excellence practices.
As a key leader in SEDA's journey toward Operational Excellence, the Continuous Improvement Manager will build problem-solving competencies that drive out waste and deliver superior quality throughout the organization. This role requires guiding, coaching, and training teams to accelerate continuous improvement across all facilities, ensuring the effective adoption and maturity of Safran's Lean Six Sigma system. Manage and enhance the LSS assessment process and architecture, providing ongoing coaching and training on LSS tools, systems, and principles to embed these practices into standard work and organizational behaviors.

Essential Job Functions
• Develop, sell and oversee the implementation of actionable continuous improvement strategies to drive process excellence thinking and actions throughout the organization.
• Participate in and help facilitate the Lean Six Sigma System team.
• Advocate and influence appropriate change relative to improvement opportunities and quality gaps in alignment with broader organizational goals.
• Act as a change agent relative to endorsed strategies to produce sustainable and scalable process improvements.
• Act as an organizational mentor to support ongoing development of competencies in Lean Six Sigma and other improvement technologies at managerial and staff levels.
• Support assigned projects by removing barriers to project completion, active participation and engagement, and facilitation project review.
• Develop and maintain effective scorecards relative to implemented strategies.
• Work with leaders to further advance the adoption of Lean Six Sigma and other improvement technologies.
• Be the contact person for coordinating, communicating, and publicizing operation excellence activities and successes.
• Drive operational excellence through support and coaching of projects across Safran using Lean Six Sigma, DMAIC or other related process improvement methodologies. Develop and execute enabling training, coaching and communication strategies
• Establish plans for deployment of Lean Six Sigma principles within the organization, including strategic vision and deployment plan. Provides support and steering of deployment to ensure that Lean principles are broadly and appropriately applied within the organization. Supporting and guiding cultural transformation.
• Identify and prioritize projects to be used with DMAIC and Kaizen methodology.

Travel specifictity
This position has interaction and responsibility for Irvine, CA teams. Occasional travel between Irvine and other locations (less than 10%).

Additional description
• Lead Kaizen and Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs). Conduct appropriate preplanning, data analysis, and coordination with support groups to ensure successful events. Identify team members and secure appropriate resources. Provide technical support and leadership during Kaizens, provide appropriate steering toward successful conclusion. Provide appropriate event follow up, closure of activities, and transfer of leadership back to sustaining groups.
• Provide process and engineering expertise in creation and optimization of manufacturing processes and creation of lean manufacturing lines. Apply broad set of engineering and scientific principles in order to ensure that manufacturing methods are robust and effective.
• Create systems for manufacturing and business processes. Provide system expertise in order to ensure that processes are sustainable, cost effective, and compliant with internal and external regulatory requirements.
• Providing input to Annual Operating Plan for Lean programs.
• Other duties as required.

Candidate skills & requirements
Education/Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited course of study in engineering.
• 5 years of engineering or manufacturing experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 2 years of engineering or manufacturing experience with a Master's degree.
• Experience in the aerospace and defense industry is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Advanced knowledge of experimental techniques, industrial statistical technique, and designed experiments
• Advanced knowledge of Lean Six Sigma methodologies through Lean Six Sigma training or certification
• Project management experience
• Demonstrated management skills leading professional employees
• Knowledge of the Lean/Continuous Improvement culture and processes a must
• Master's degree preferred
• Knowledge of AS9100 preferred
• Knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Leadership Skills / Management Skills / Personal Skills
• Excellent verbal and written skills and ability to effectively communicate at all levels and across the organization.
• Excellent ability to manage projects
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent team leadership skills
• Strong decision making skills
• Good understanding of all business processes
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good overall presentation skills
• Must have a high level of personal initiative and ability to function autonomously; strong sense of urgency, self-confidence, and comfort with new and rapidly changing situations and environments
• Customer oriented
• Integrity

• Must be authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.
• This position requires use of information or access to hardware which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. green card holder), political asylee or refugee
• Must have a Master Black Belt
• Bilingual in English/Spanish

Annual salary
$120,000 to $175,000

Job location

Job location
North America, United States, California

City (-ies)
Irvine

Applicant criteria

Minimum education level achieved
Bachelor's Degree

Minimum experience level required
More than 3 years

Lean Sigma Certification
Master Black Belt