Senior Manager – Global Manufacturing Process Improvement

About JLG, an Oshkosh company JLG began in 1969, when our founder, John L. Grove set out to resolve growing safety concerns in the construction industry. Since then we have been committed to understanding the challenges and delivering innovative solutions to the access market. We partner with customers to provide quality equipment, training opportunities and trusted support within the access industry.

We are a global company, and our products—including mobile elevating work platforms, telehandlers, utility vehicles and accessories—can be found all over the world. Reporting to the Sr. Director – Global Quality, the Senior Manager – Global Manufacturing Process Improvement builds the systems that improve how JLG factories build product, and deploys them across our global manufacturing footprint. This is an enterprise role: you will design the improvement methodology, prove it at the sites, and then standardize and scale it worldwide.

The role owns the improvement approach for First Pass Yield (FPY) and Defects Per Unit (DPU) and leads the shift from catching defects to preventing them. You will work on the floor with Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, and Quality to find where processes lose capability and stability, lead the teams that fix them, and turn what works into a repeatable global standard.

You will bring the same discipline into new product and manufacturing launches, designing problems out early so that every machine we ship leaves the line defect free. This is a leadership role for someone who has run improvement projects themselves and can now set the direction, build the system, coach the teams, and hold the results.

Design, build, and deploy global manufacturing process improvement systems, standards, and playbooks — then drive consistent adoption across sites, regions, and business units. Own the enterprise improvement approach for First Pass Yield and Defects Per Unit — set targets, prioritize the work by business impact, and drive it to closure with site teams. Lead the deployment of a zero‑defect, prevention‑first approach across manufacturing, translating it into practical methods, standards, and site‑level execution plans.

Partner with global Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to identify and eliminate sources of process variation. Serve as the senior escalation point for complex manufacturing and process issues, leading containment, root cause analysis, corrective action, and sustainable resolution. Use customer, warranty, and field quality data to target the improvement agenda, turning recurring themes into upstream process fixes that prevent recurrence.

Lead and coach manufacturing teams globally on structured problem solving using 8D, A3, DMAIC, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies. Apply engineering, statistical, and data analysis methods to identify root causes, reduce defects, and improve manufacturing performance. Lead process and quality integration into new product development and manufacturing launches, ensuring process risks are identified and addressed early. Lead APQP activities for manufacturing launches and ensure PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Reaction Plans are built into launch execution rather than added afterward.

Provide hands‑on coaching and training on structured problem solving, process capability, PFMEA, and Control Plans. Establish the metrics, cadence, and governance that make improvement visible and sustained across the global network. Provide strategic guidance to Manufacturing, Engineering, and Quality leadership on where to invest improvement effort for the greatest return.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations…