Continuous Improvement Manager

Continuous Improvement Manager

The Continuous Improvement Manager (CIM) will lead strategic and hands-on initiatives that drive efficiency, cost reduction, and process optimization across Daniels Health's U.S. operations including plants and transfer stations.

Based in Chicago, IL, this role partners closely with regional operations leadership, as well as local and national Maintenance and Engineering teams, to identify and execute practical, sustainable improvements that enhance operational performance.

The CIM focuses on the practical application of Lean, continuous improvement, and industrial engineering principles, delivering measurable results in productivity, safety, quality, and cost efficiency while fostering a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and accountability.

Key responsibilities include :

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance across processing plants and transfer stations.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving methodologies to streamline processes, eliminate waste, and drive measurable cost savings.
• Conduct time studies, workflow analysis, and labor utilization reviews to identify bottlenecks, process constraints, and opportunities to rebalance work for improved throughput.
• Develop and standardize best practices that improve reliability, reduce variability, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Support and lead site-level and national continuous improvement initiatives aligned with Daniels Health's operational goals.
• Partner with regional and site leadership to identify cost-reduction opportunities in labor, materials, logistics, and maintenance.
• Drive initiatives that lower operational expenses through improved process efficiency, waste minimization, and resource optimization.
• Quantify and track the financial impact of all CI projects, providing regular reporting to leadership on savings achieved and ROI.
• Collaborate with finance and operations teams to integrate cost improvement metrics into site KPIs and performance dashboards.
• Work through regional operations leadership to prioritize and execute improvement initiatives that align with regional and national objectives.
• Influence and engage individuals at all organizational levels from frontline team members to senior leaders to participate in ideation, active problem-solving, prioritization, solution development, testing, and full-scale deployment.
• Serve as a trusted facilitator and coach, guiding teams through structured improvement processes and ensuring strong engagement and ownership of outcomes.
• Maintain a strong and visible presence on the plant floor, working directly with operations teams to identify and implement process improvements.
• Perform Gemba walks, time and motion studies, and process observations to validate performance data and identify opportunities to improve flow and balance workloads.
• Apply Lean tools such as 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, and Value Stream Mapping to drive daily improvements and embed continuous improvement behaviors across all levels.
• Collaborate with local and national Maintenance and Engineering teams to improve equipment performance, reduce downtime, and enhance asset utilization.
• Support process design improvements, automation projects, and infrastructure optimization initiatives that reduce costs and increase throughput.
• Contribute to the development of preventative maintenance programs that improve reliability and operational efficiency.
• Coach and train site teams on Lean principles, structured problem-solving, and root cause analysis methodologies (e.g., PDCA, DMAIC, DFSS, 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone).
• Promote a culture of experimentation and validation, encouraging teams to test and analyze improvement hypotheses before full-scale deployment.
• Facilitate hands-on workshops, Kaizen events, and A3 problem-solving sessions to strengthen analytical and practical skills.
• Develop internal CI champions and sustainment mechanisms to ensure long-term success of initiatives.
• Reinforce data-driven decision-making and evidence-based validation as standard practice for solution development and deployment.

Qualifications and experience include :

Key attributes for success include :

Why join Daniels Health? :