Continuous Improvement Manager - Remote PA / OH

At Morgan Advanced Materials, our rich history and dedication to innovation define who we are. Since our establishment in the UK in 1856, we have expanded globally, now operating across 70 sites in 18 countries. Our goal is to create a more sustainable world and enhance quality of life. We actively pursue this purpose through the development and production of advanced materials. 

Within our business unit, we specialise in innovating cutting-edge carbon, graphite, and carbide products that deliver outstanding performance. We use our expertise to tackle complex challenges across many diverse industries to provide effective solutions for our valued customers. 

Our products are shaping a better future; from enabling electric cars to charge faster and drive longer distances to maximising the operational efficiency of wind turbines. We are proud to help generate power for billions of people, deliver water to drought-stricken regions, improve the efficiency of industrial pumps, and protect lives both on the land and in the air. 

Key Figures: Revenue £1,114.7m (2023), ~8,500 employees, manufacturing in 20+ countries, and a global customer portfolio. A UK PLC with head office located in Windsor, Berkshire UK.  Listed on London Stock Exchange; Member of the FTSE 250 Index.

Continuous Improvement Manager,

Materials Job Purpose:

The Continuous Improvement Manager, Materials is responsible for leading, coordinating and managing our global continuous improvement activities and Operations Excellence programme across our Materials Manufacturing facilities in the Performance Carbon Global Business Unit, including the facilitation of continuous improvement trainings, coordinating and tracking idea generation and savings, supervising value stream mapping and applying practical continuous improvement standards, toolkits and behaviours.

The Continuous Improvement Manager, Materials is part of the Materials organisation for the Operations and Supply Chain function of the Performance Carbon Global Business Unit. The role will require strong global, cross-site and cross-functional collaboration to meet operational and financial targets, such as EHS, Quality, Delivery and Efficiency targets. As a member of the Materials operations team, the Continuous Improvement Manager will work closely with the Operations Excellence Manager, Finishing facilities to ensure consistency and best practice sharing across our global Operation.

The postholder will create a collaborative, ambitious and effective approach towards continuous improvement across our materials facilities and assume ownership of our continuous improvement efforts.

Essential Functions:

• Strategy Development and Deployment
  • Design and implement a global continuous improvement strategy, aligned with organisational goals and in line with the Finishing organisation.
  • Standardize best practices, CI methodologies across the Materials facilities, including practical CI standards, toolkits and behaviour framework.
• Leadership
  • Indirect reporting responsibility over the continuous improvement personnel across the materials facilities.
  • Teach, coach and mentor peers and team members of Continuous Improvement skills and mindset.
  • Ensure strong cross-functional, cross-gbu, cross-site collaboration with the rest of the organisation.
• Program & Project Management
  • Coordinate and enhance idea generation at every level of the Materials organisation.
  • Track, review and report on continuous improvement projects and activities, including progress, costs and savings.
  • Mentor, coach and track Green Belt projects – review project charters, facilitate gate reviews and assist with benefits calculations.
  • Partner with site leaders in selecting and prioritising continuous improvement activities that deliver on key metrics and strategic initiatives.
• Governance
  • Track, Review and Report on continuous improvement projects and activities, including progress, costs and savings.
  • Coordinate and report on the continuous improvement (CI) activities of all sites and ensure progress and performance is aligned to our business goals and objective, typically represented as 4-5% savings annually on cost of goods sold (COGS).
• Training
  • Design, Facilitate and Track Continuous Improvement training programmes, such as shopfloor training, Lean Yellow Belt, Lean Green Belt, Lean Black Belt and Six Sigma programmes.
  • Develop effective means to capture and share continuous improvement and best practice activities between sites.

Key Performance metrics and objectives:

• Continuous Improvement target, budget and forecast.
• Leading and Lagging EHS indicators, such as number of Don’t Walk Bys.
• Quality KPIs.
• CAPEX KPIs.
• Delivery KPIs, such as OTD or Leadtime.

Core Competencies:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Managing with Vision and Purpose – Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core purpose; talks beyond today; talks about possibilities; is optimistic; creates mileposts and symbols to rally support behind the vision; makes the vision shareable by everyone; can inspire and motivate entire units or organizations.
  
  
• Managing Through Systems – Can design practices, processes, and procedures which allow managing from a distance; is comfortable letting things manage themselves without intervening; can make things work through others without being there; can impact people and results remotely.
  
  
• Directing Others – Is good at establishing clear directions; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately; lays out work in a well-planned and organized manner; maintains two-way dialogue with others on work and results; brings out the best in people; is a clear communicator.
  
  
  
• Business Acumen – Knows how businesses work; knowledgeable in current and possible future policies, practices, trends, and information affecting his/her business and organization; knows the competition; is aware of how strategies and tactics work in the marketplace.

Requirements:

• Degree educated ideally in Engineering, Business or relevant Technical Discipline.
  
  
• Lean expert with extensive experience in a manufacturing environment with a “hands on” approach.
  
  
• Proven track record for developing, training and coaching teams while implementing and driving a Business System approach.
  
  
• Experience of working within a Multiple site/ Global environment preferred.
  
  
  
• Must be able to travel globally, as role required.
   

Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer Ind-1