About This Role
Leading the transformation of a facility's continuous improvement (CI) culture is the core of this management role, by setting the vision, priorities, and operating rhythm that drive measurable performance gains. The position guides and develops a team while partnering across all functions to deliver improvements aligned with enterprise goals. Success in this role comes from balancing strategic direction with hands-on coaching, data-driven problem solving, and disciplined execution.
Responsibilities
- Develop and manage training and coaching plans for direct reports and the broader organization to support Continuous Improvement (CI) principles and routines
- Identify, set priorities and coach team on improvement projects aligned to the enterprise-wide CI vision aligned with hoshin goals
- Develop, identify and execute routines/practices that successfully guide personnel through change
- Coach team to identify process constraints and monitor performance, perform root cause analysis, troubleshoot deviations and implement countermeasures to restore standard operations
- Create vision and transformation plan for a Continuous Improvement culture throughout the facility
- Set and align annual development goals and progression plans for direct reports
- Create and maintain a management process to effectively prioritize tasks and workload
- Develop team to identify and apply relevant statistical analysis
- Coach and facilitate lean workshops and investigations
- Coordinate with Environmental, Healthy & Safety (EHS) on risk assessments, safety issues and ergonomics
- Align cross functionally the priority of work and task assignments and ensure collaboration with cross functional teams
- Assign, train and coach team on the validation of new products and processes using work standards, process capability studies, statistical analysis, etc. and ensure collaboration with plant engineering
- Collaborate with the plant engineering team to identify and prioritize equipment solutions to optimize operations
- Manage other team members
- May be required to drive a company vehicle
- Provide excellent customer service to all internal and external customers
- Follow all company policies and procedures
- Carry out leadership responsibilities such as interviewing, hiring, training and coaching employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees and addressing complaints and resolving problems by following all of Helena's policies, procedures and applicable laws
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, industrial technology or related field
- Ten years of work experience in Continuous Improvement (CI), Lean, Manufacturing Engineering or Process Engineering
- Leadership experience
- Proven ability to lead and manage team activities aligned to strategic goals
- Demonstrated mastery of standard work, TWI-Job Relations, TWI-Job Instruction and coaching for scientific thinking
- Proven enterprise lean mastery, system design and coaching
- Demonstrated mastery and training others on advanced lean/six sigma and statistical tools
- Established strength in creating a clear vision and developing a strategic plan
- Ability to shape and reinforce a positive organizational culture aligned with core values and strategy
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple enterprise-wide projects at one time
- Computer skills including working knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Ability to stand for long periods of time in hot or cold temperatures
- Ability to work at elevated heights up to 50 ft.
- Valid U.S. driver's license and must meet all company requirements to drive a Helena vehicle
- Ability to read, write and speak in English
- Successful completion of a drug test and background check
Nice to have:
- Experience with Minitab
- Knowledge/experience with process programming, control strategies and instrumentation
- Communicating in Spanish is a valuable skill at Helena
Benefits
- Health, Dental & Vision Insurance starts the same day you do
- Earn up to $3,000 in Reward Dollars from Helena for your Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Helena's robust 401(k) Savings Plan offers a 100% company-match up to 5% starting on your first day
- Company-match increases up to 10% based on your contribution amount as years of service with Helena increase
- Three-year vesting on company-match with 1,000 hours of service
- Access earned pay between paydays through Earned Wage Access (EWA) with DailyPay
- Free Term Life Insurance at 1x your annual base pay - paid for by Helena at no cost to you
- Free Short & Long-Term Disability
- Up to four weeks of paid Parental Leave
- Education Assistance
Important Details
- Travel: up to 15% of the time
- Work environment: office setting and typical plant/warehouse environment where the noise level is usually moderate to loud; regularly work near moving equipment/mechanical parts and could be exposed to fumes, airborne particles, chemical and biological hazards, vibrations and a risk of electrical shock
- Physical demands: use hands for many different tasks, talk, hear, walk, sit, stand (8 hours a day or more), lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling (up to and including 50lbs or more), reaching overhead (up to and including 25lbs), climbing, gripping, grasping and twisting using hands and wrists, bending and stooping for long periods of time, working below knee levels for short periods of time and working above shoulder level for short periods
About the Company
Helena Industries (HI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC and provides production and distribution solutions to customers across a wide variety of industries. HI is one of the largest chemical toll manufacturers in the U.S. and its clients include many household name brands and large retailers. At Helena, safety is the highest priority.