Director,Improvement – Manufacturing,Industrials Job Rockford area,Illinois USA,Business

Position: Director, Performance Improvement – Manufacturing, Industrials

Support clients through rapid growth, plant turnarounds, acquisition integrations, carve‑outs, cultural transformations, operating model transformations, and M&A operational due diligence and pre/post-close execution
Assess plant performance using OEE, throughput, labor productivity, reliability, quality, and asset utilization to identify EBITDA and cash flow improvement opportunities
Evaluate operating systems, management routines, process discipline, leadership effectiveness, and manufacturing networks to enhance safety, quality, service, and productivity and support M&A‑related decisions
Translate shop‑floor performance and operational diagnostics into financial outcomes supporting capacity unlock, CAPEX optimization, and enterprise value creation
Build analytical tools and financial models; deploy advanced analytics, dashboards, KPI reporting, and operating scorecards
Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methods to reduce waste and defects, increase throughput, improve setup/changeover, and stabilize inventory and service levels
Analyze complex multi‑shift and 24/7 manufacturing operations across labor, value streams, production planning, quality, safety, and customer service
Develop value creation roadmaps with measurable targets for EBITDA, cash flow, productivity, quality, safety, service, working capital, and CAPEX effectiveness
Manage engagement workplans, milestones, issue logs, and status reporting
Prepare executive‑ready reports, scorecards, business cases, and presentations; communicate findings to senior leadership
Lead and collaborate with client and internal teams to gather data and test hypotheses
Set priorities across work streams, manage Associates/Senior Associates, and provide coaching and feedback

Requirements

Undergraduate degree from a top academic institution with a strong GPA required
Master’s degree preferred and MBA strongly valued
5+ years of advisory experience with a top‑tier management consulting firm with significant manufacturing/industrials experience
10+ years of progressive operations leadership across consulting and corporate/client‑side roles preferred for senior‑level consideration
Proven experience leading or advising manufacturing operations with accountability for productivity, quality, safety, budget/P&L performance, workforce management, and customer service outcomes
Demonstrated track record of measurable enterprise value creation, operational productivity improvement, cost reduction, and performance gains in complex manufacturing environments
Hands‑on experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, value stream mapping, kaizen, standard work, plant turnarounds, and performance management systems
Lean and/or Six Sigma certification preferred
Experience supporting CAPEX planning and execution, asset management, labor strategy, inventory recovery, backorder reduction, throughput improvement, and multi‑shift operating environments
Experience across industrials and manufacturing sectors such as building products, plastics, medical/life sciences, food/dairy, consumer goods, or other regulated production environments
Working knowledge of safety, quality, and regulatory operating disciplines, with exposure to FDA, USDA, FSSC 22000, third‑party certifications, or similar requirements
Ability to align shop floor execution with senior executive, CEO, board, investor, and broader stakeholder priorities
Ability to support multiple transactions in diligence, integration, and separation roles
Strong people leadership experience, including building high‑performance teams, developing operational leaders, coaching frontline management, and driving cultural change
Strong analytical and financial skills, including Excel modeling, analytical…

Director, Improvement – Manufacturing, Industrials