Production Transformation & Continuous Improvement Manager

Position: (6-month contract) Production Transformation & Continuous Improvement Manager
Kongsberg Discovery Canada Ltd. , a subsidiary of KONGSBERG, is a global technology company, providing innovative and reliable technology solutions for all marine industry sectors including merchant, offshore, subsea, and naval. Headquartered in Horten, Norway, the company has manufacturing, sales, and service facilities internationally. Kongsberg Discovery is a market leader in systems for positioning, surveying, and navigation. We are determined to provide our customers with innovative and reliable marine electronics that ensure optimal operation both on and under the sea.

KONGSBERG , we believe in tackling challenging problems and delivering extreme performance for extreme conditions. We do that through excellent products and services developed for delivering the greatest benefits to our customers.

Position Summary
The Manufacturing Transformation Manager partners closely with the Director Operations to drive operational excellence through digitization, process improvement, and structured change management of a Design and Production facility including Electronics hardware assembly, machining and test. This role focuses on modernizing production systems, streamlining workflows, and leading improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, quality, and scalability.

The position becomes a strategic partner to the business – prioritizing, planning and executing transformative initiatives to modernize and double the throughput of a high tech manufacturing facility.

Role and Responsibilities

Work as a team member to complete the implementation of new or modified production machines in conjunction with new manufacturing projects.

Ensure that all levels of safety are implemented into each automation change.

Completion of run at rate process performance testing in conjunction with manufacturing operations.

Ability to support the redesign/engineer the machine components necessary to improve equipment performance.

Must be capable to support in specifying and sourcing materials and equipment to best suit requirements.

Solid understanding of Industrial electrical methods and general best practices relating to automation.

Production Leadership (Interim, partial Coverage)

Provide full operational leadership of the production team during the Production Manager’s absence, with support from Dir. Operations

Ensure production targets, safety standards, and quality requirements are consistently met

Maintain workforce planning, scheduling, acting as primary point of contact for a multidisciplinary team

Foster a collaborative and safety-focused workplace culture

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

Identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and waste within production operations

Prioritize improvement opportunities based on impact, cost, and feasibility

Apply Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to drive measurable improvements

Establish KPIs and dashboards to monitor performance and track progress

Change Management & Team Engagement

Lead change management efforts to ensure smooth adoption of new systems and processes

Develop communication strategies that engage and align production teams

Train and support team members through transitions and new workflows

Build a culture of continuous improvement and innovation

Lead the ongoing transition from manual or fragmented processes to digital production systems

Evaluate and implement tools to improve work order management, streamlining and automating production workflows.

Partner with IT and external vendors to deploy and optimize digital solutions

Project Management & Delivery

Develop clear project plans for improvement initiatives

Lead cross-functional teams to execute projects from concept to implementation

Ensure accountability, milestone tracking, and successful delivery of outcomes

Report progress and results to senior leadership

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

Work closely with Production Manager, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and IT

Act as a bridge between operational teams and strategic priorities

Facilitate problem-solving sessions and improvement workshops

Digitized and streamlined work order system

Reduction in production inefficiencies and cycle times

Implementation of…