Manufacturing Lean Manager

• Compensation: USD 110,000 - USD 135,000 - yearly

The Manufacturing Lean Manager oversees the development of new manufacturing methods, tooling, machine designs, cost estimates, and the resolution of engineering problems associated with the manufacturing and quality control of all Rochester products.

The role is also responsible for leading Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives throughout the facility, driving operational excellence through waste reduction, process optimization, improved productivity, enhanced quality, and the implementation of best-in-class manufacturing practices.

In addition, the position provides leadership, direction, coaching, and performance management for a team of Engineers and/or Technicians, ensuring the successful execution of engineering projects, continuous improvement initiatives, and day-to-day manufacturing support activities.

Key Responsibilities and Outcomes:

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of 2–4 Engineers and/or Technicians;
• Design, implement, and document processes for shop floor activities considering best engineering practices, health and safety requirements, environmental requirements, product quality standards, and compliance with both external regulatory bodies and internal requirements.
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and debug new manufacturing methods and procedures to ensure process effectiveness and system efficiencies.
• Participate in internal and external audits of company activities and processes.
• Design specialist jigs, fixtures, and tooling to support production build and testing activities.
• Work closely with Supply Chain to support sourcing strategies, identify alternative components, and mitigate supply chain constraints.
• Support the Quality function in the review of non-conforming supplier components and assist in communication and corrective action activities with suppliers.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing operations, including maintaining process instructions, documentation control, and production equipment for current products.
• Actively participate in troubleshooting, root cause investigations, and problem resolution activities.
• Review and recommend changes to engineering drawings, bills of materials, and process documentation to improve manufacturability, quality, and efficiency.
• Investigate new manufacturing technologies, processes, and equipment and provide cost estimates to support proposals, capital requests, and project targets.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities and ensure manufacturing readiness for production launches.

Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement Leadership:

• Lead and promote Lean Manufacturing initiatives throughout the Rochester facility to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity (SQDCP) performance.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute continuous improvement projects that deliver measurable operational and financial benefits.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Gemba Walks, and process improvement workshops.
• Drive the identification and elimination of manufacturing waste, including defects, overproduction, waiting, transportation, inventory, motion, and over processing.
• Champion the implementation and sustainment of Lean tools and methodologies
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action activities utilizing methodologies
• Analyze manufacturing performance data to identify opportunities for improvements in throughput, cycle time, quality, labor efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Develop, implement, and sustain standard work processes to promote consistency and reduce process variation.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Engineering teams to drive cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• Train, mentor,…