Head of Continuous Improvement

About the role

We are seeking an experienced leader to drive Lean excellence across our global Grid Technologies Switchgear factories. The Head of Continuous Improvement will embed Lean principles at the point of execution, guide Kaizen events, and raise operational performance to world‑class standards.

Key responsibilities

• Lead Kaizen workshops, 5S activities, and shop‑floor observations to identify waste and improve flow.
• Deploy a global Lean strategy, translating standards into daily routines and coaching managers on value‑stream mapping, takt/flow design, standard work, visual management, and structured problem solving.
• Partner with site leaders to scope opportunities, prioritize initiatives, align resources, and ensure disciplined execution of improvement plans.
• Build Lean capability by coordinating practical training, running workshops, and fostering Gemba‑based learning across all factories.
• Monitor KPI progress, validate results on the shop floor, and drive corrective actions using data‑driven problem‑solving methods.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning by integrating HOP principles, sharing best practices, and overseeing Lean community activities.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, industrial engineering, production systems or a comparable technical field.
• 10+ years of hands‑on Lean and Operational Excellence experience in manufacturing, preferably automotive or related heavy‑industry environments.
• Proven leadership in driving large‑scale continuous‑improvement programs and delivering measurable KPI improvements.

Required skills

• Lean methodology
• Kaizen
• 5S
• Value‑stream mapping
• Takt/flow design
• Standard work
• Visual management
• Structured problem solving
• HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) principles