JUMP TO CONTENT

Continuous Improvement Leader

  1. Full-Time
  2. Kansas City
  3. On site

Job Description

Who will you be working with?

Shuttlewagon, a Wabtec Company, is looking for a Continuous Improvement Leader that will be responsible to create, develop and sustain the Lean Initiatives for the business unit. This role will work with leaders from various departments as well as customers to ensure the factory is operating in the best way to ensure quality, safety and efficiency.

How will you make a difference?

As a member of the Components Division, you will be responsible ensuring the business operates at optimum efficiency with an emphasis on costs savings from our operations team.

What do we want to know about you?

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college.
  • At least 1-3 additional years of experience leading teams in a lean transformation(s) where both lean leadership and change management up, across, and down through the organization was demonstrated.  Preferably more experience.
  • Experience and ability to influence thru influence, coaching, mentoring and teaching.  Ability to foster lean development with a “hands on” and showing by doing approach.
  • Demonstrated a deep faith in Toyota Production System (TPS) principles of servant leadership, connecting to the customer(s), building capability from the worker performing standard work and through the organization, and problem solving with the customer and worker always top of mind. 
  • Experience implementing and developing teams to implement pull systems.
  • History of leadership thru influence, coaching, mentoring and teaching.  Ability to foster lean development with a “hands on” and showing by doing approach.  This is critical in the development of our value stream teams.
  • Deep faith in lean and its principles with a proven track record leading in a TPS type transformation and business operating system transformation…. much beyond a lean-six sigma tool type continuous improvement initiative.  A lean zealot.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and demonstrated interpersonal and leadership skills.
  • Clear thinker, able to analyze and resolve complex problems.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead programs / projects ensuring buy-in from key stakeholders in a matrix environment at all levels.
  • Established project management skills, experience documenting, planning, and stabilizing programs
  • Ability to work effectively across functions; extensive experience leading cross-functional or geographically dispersed teams, proven mentoring and coaching abilities, ability to motivate & inspire others

What will your typical day look like?

  • Develop the Lean team to grow their lean knowledge and execution capabilities. Mentor them to be true agents of change, improving their change management capabilities and ensure rigor around conducting the kaizen events.
  • Create the lean vision and continuous improvement strategy to advance the customer experience through improved cycle time, on-time delivery, and ensure all other customer critical to quality areas are at the forefront of the strategy.
  • Change agent responsible for delivering performance excellence through execution of lean initiatives and providing thoughtful coaching of the functional standard work and problem solving.
  • Be comfortable influencing leaders in lean methodology and principles, Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment), problem solving, etc.  Strong communication is a must.
  • Ensure compliance with standard processes and tools, supports the value stream team to develop and follow their personal standard work (leaders and associates), yielding a culture of system, process and behavior discipline to get results.
  • Implement and help improve the Business Operating System known as the Wabtec Management System
  • Ability to teach and develop team on quick improvement cycles; these quick developmental opportunities will build team confidence; in turn this will give us the ability to drastically increase our velocity of change.
  • Lead all plant operations through lean process and behavior changes, developing highly effective Daily Management processes focused on tools such as basic problem solving (5 why’s), kaizen, A3 thinking, value stream mapping, Kanban visual management, pull processes, creation of flow and adherence to standard work.  Convey a passion for continuous improvement while effectively communicating the next future state while reinforcing buy-in throughout the improvement journey.
  • Ability to teach and develop team on quick improvement cycles; these quick developmental opportunities will build team confidence; in turn this will give us the ability to drastically increase our velocity of change.

What about the physical demands of the job?

  • Employee will be working in the typical conditions of a manufacturing environment including seasonal variation in temperatures and occasional exposure to manufacturing fumes or by-products
  • You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.
     

Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable) and fitness for duty.


Additional Information

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $62100-85300 The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job - it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.
 

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.


We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.