Director of Lean

Director of Lean

Who we are:

Atkore is forging a future where our employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and communities are building better together – a future focused on serving the customer and powering and protecting the world.

With a global network of manufacturing and distribution facilities, Atkore is a leading provider of electrical, safety and infrastructure solutions.

Who we are looking for:

We are currently searching for Director of Lean for our PVC Pipe & Conduit SBU to be based out of Harvey, IL reporting to the VP, Operations - PVC Pipe & Conduit. The ideal candidate will have 10 -15 years’ experience in lean manufacturing cultural transformation, ideally in a business system-based company as a continuous improvement leader, black belt, or similar role.

The Director of Lean will act as a key change agent for fostering, promoting, and deploying continuous improvement within the Atkore Business System (ABS). ABS includes three primary pillar: Strategy, People, Process. Those business system pillars are supported by Lean Daily Management (LDM) to manage and sustain the business that we have today, and Strategy Deployment Process (SDP) to create the business that we aspire to become. The Director of Lean will be responsible for deploying Lean methodology including strategy design and deployment, training, mentoring, coaching, and subject matter expertise. Coach and mentor Lean managers, Lean Process Engineers and direct reports with the advancement of Lean and continuous improvement activities. All while working closely with other functions in the plant including Customer Service, Warehousing, Production, Maintenance, Procurement, Environmental Health & Safety, Finance, Human Resources and Quality.

• Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
  • Aligning operational improvement efforts driving strategy deployment
  • Partner with internal and external stakeholders on driving growth and value
• Identify, create, and sustain standard processes throughout the organization.
• Lead process and transactional improvement Kaizens.
• Categorize opportunities as improvement opportunities as just do it activities, projects, or Kaizen events.
• Facilitate lean daily management and lead the path to Gemba.
• Manage a team of Lean Leaders. Direct and grow them as they implement lean strategies in multiple plants.
• Develop, articulate, and implement a cohesive multi-year strategy to progressively drive lean deeper into the organization.
• Partner with all functions to define process capabilities, assess gaps and develop gap closure plans.
• Engage the plant teams in setting specific goals around ABS initiatives and facilitating the ABS control room. This includes working with leadership both functionally and strategically to drive overall improvements in specific areas to drive Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and Innovation.
• Manage Key Process Indicators and Targets To Improve (TTI) dashboards for Strategy Deployment Process.
• Support productivity improvement projects in the plant and other transactional waste reduction initiatives.
• Provide input and feedback to key leadership positions about process improvement opportunities specific to all parts of the organization.
• Provide functional leadership with awareness, knowledge and guidance of Lean and/or Six Sigma principles, methodologies and tools to support achievement of ABS business objectives.
• Provide mentorship to key personnel in developing a culture of ABS throughout the organization.
• Plan, coordinate, lead, and teach regularly different sections of the training sessions demonstrating knowledge of the Lean and Six Sigma tools.
• Mentor, influence and develop potential lean practitioner candidates through their projects driving business change.
• Identify ideas with other functional leaders, employees and customers to create opportunities for process improvement throughout the organization.
• Effectively influence team decisions to manage risks and balance robust product, service and process design with a sense of urgency.
• Engage with corporate ABS team to ensure compliance and implementation.
• Support development of ABS toolsets and programs in conjunction with corporate ABS program.
• Write training outlines and programs as needed.
• Deliver effective training either in a classroom setting or on the manufacturing floor.
• Familiarity leading/guiding new process introduction excellence; new/replacement capital, facility moves, and consolidations

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering (MFGE or IE preferred) or other related functional areas or work experience.
• Minimum 10 - 15 years' managerial experience within manufacturing operations
• Certified Lean Practitioner from the Lean Certification Alliance or Certified Six Sigma Black Belt strongly preferred.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively at all levels of the organization from senior management to hourly employees.
• Excellent training, coaching, communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated success at launching a new process and utilization of analytical and process improvement tools and methods, e.g. Lean, Six Sigma and other engineering, quality and manufacturing analysis tools.
• Knowledge of tube manufacturing processes
• Experience with warehousing and distribution processes/practices strongly desired
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel and Power Point.
• Willingness to function as an embedded member of the operations team and actively participate in improvement events in the factory environment for days at a time.
• Ability to occasionally work off shift to provide training and facilitate continuous improvement initiatives to all production shifts.
• Ability to understand plant level finances and financial metrics.
• Proficient in creating and analyzing data.
• Proven ability to conduct complex problem solving and analysis and apply these abilities to product or service development and process improvement.
• Ability to work both as a member of a team, a team leader or as an individual contributor.
• Experience developing and documenting standard work for all levels of the organization.
• History leading, facilitating, and supporting Kaizen events.
• Strong background in strategy deployment process. (Hoshin Kanri is preferred).
• Demonstrated competency working across business units with an integrated team to achieve positive results.
• Strong business and technical acumen required.
• Travel is 15% - 20%.

Atkore is a recipient of a Great Place to Work© certification and a Top Workplaces USA award! We’re committed to creating an engaged and aligned workforce that drives collaborative culture. Our team strives for breakthrough results, stays focused on being standout leaders, and fully supports decisions of the Company. We consistently live the Atkore mission, strategic priorities, and behaviors, all in a way that’s consistent with our core values. Together, we build strong leaders that continually endeavor to move us forward.

Join our team and align yourself with an industry leader!

#LI-MH1

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)