Continuous Improvement Manager

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and Eco Chillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary:

The Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for partnering with operations and site leadership to deploy Lean and continuous improvement strategies that strengthen operational performance, reduce waste, improve process reliability, and enhance customer satisfaction. This role develops improvement capabilities across teams, facilitates problem-solving and Kaizen activities, supports standardized work, and helps sustain measurable performance gains in a manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Leads the deployment of continuous improvement initiatives to enhance process reliability, reduce waste, and improve customer satisfaction.

Facilitate improvement events, performance dialogues, and hands-on training that reinforce continuous improvement tools and behaviors.

Partners with operations leadership to identify improvement opportunities, develop action plans, and sustain performance gains.

Conducts on-site observations to identify non-standard conditions, recommend corrective actions, and support operational problem-solving.

Supports the development and maintenance of standardized work, operational procedures, and performance measures.

Prepares reports and presentations summarizing improvements, operational trends, and cost savings.

Benchmarks industry best practices and incorporates relevant methods into site operations.

Accountable for the administration and execution of policies and procedures.

Decisions have a direct impact on plant operations and customers.

Frequently interacts with subordinates, customers and peer groups at various management levels.

Interactions normally involve information exchange and basic problem resolution.

Ability to lead change initiatives and drive process excellence

Facilitate and lead Kaizen event and define/set appropriate target for improvement and measure progress to targets.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Hires, trains, coaches, counsels, and evaluate performance of direct reports.

Have a shared responsibility for both process improvement as well as operational performance with plant/functional manager.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Required:

Requires a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related discipline5+ years of experience in manufacturing or operations, including supporting or leading continuous improvement initiatives; or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent background.

Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.

Strong knowledge of continuous improvement and process improvement methodologies.

Skill in analyzing operational data to support decision-making and problem-solving.

Ability to facilitate improvement events, on-site observations, and performance…