Continuous Improvement and Capabilities Manager

Continuous Improvement (CI) and Capabilities Manager

Job Description

Join the team behind iconic brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Scott®, Kotex®, Poise®, Depend®, and Kimberly-Clark Professional®  At Kimberly-Clark, it’s all here for you—innovation, growth, and the chance to make a real impact. 

As a person, you’re a learner – a natural leader – someone who is always taking initiative to make things better and bring others along with you. You live your life in alignment with the highest values of integrity and quality, always ensuring your responsibilities become a long-term success story. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU. 

About You

In one of our manufacturing roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center. Job responsibilities include:

• Reports to the site plant manager and has broad CI and capability development responsibilities for technically complex processes, plant equipment, facilities, digital solutions and personnel.
• Provide strategic leadership to direct reports by coaching them in problem-solving methods and tools to identify gaps in processes, capabilities, and culture, uncover CI opportunities, and implement innovative solutions to close those gaps.
• Promote loss control across the organization by visibly demonstrating that safety is a core value.
• Champion safety at the manufacturing site and within your team by using OPEX, LSS, and T4E tools to support education and behavior-based processes.
• Lead your team in achieving safety objectives and maintaining a safe work environment.
• Champion and support Continuous Improvement and T4E programs and processes as the way to deliver quality and process capability improvements.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Manage, develop, and support direct reports (T4E Leader, Digital Manufacturing Leader/Engineer) to effectuate changes and developments throughout the site and within each function.
• Lead your site’s organization to develop and execute an overall site plan that aligns to the regional strategy to drive a cultural transformation, increasing the engagement and enablement of all team members.
• Build capability of the asset teams to help lead and manage organizational transformations.
• Incorporate organizational transformation thinking into your team’s processes and tools, including leveraging Digital Manufacturing resources.
• Provide high-level planning with the oversight and/or hands-on execution of the four key areas of Change Management related to site specific initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships, consult with leadership, demonstrate empathy, and collaborate on success criteria and KPI progress.
• Develop change plan roadmaps, communication, and capability building plans.
• Identify and escalate issues, solicit feedback, and support project teams with gap analysis and business process discussions.
• Manage change networks, ensure participant engagement, and develop and deliver relevant updates.
• Develop long-term strategies, address resistance, and continuously monitor and adjust the change process.
• Provide strategy to build capability of all team members at the site through the Training 4 Excellence program.
• Provide leadership support to develop, facilitate and manage the site’s training strategies aligned to the regional strategy, including providing leadership to the training specialists.
• Ensure self and respective team members are active participants in regional networks in the areas they support, sharing learnings and adopting and applying one best way standards and process.
• Ensure collaboration between T4E and Digital Manufacturing to drive training and usage throughout the site.
• Provide strategic direction to drive Continuous Improvement, using standard tools and processes, across all functions in the site.
• Provide Strategic leadership for site’s CI programs and efforts.
• Reinforce the iOPEX processes and tools to ensure sustainability of the iOPEX program.
• Ensure standardization through CI and Culture of Accountability (CoA) practices.
• Provide continuous feedback to leadership team, consistent with OPEX mindsets, the Kimberly-Clark Behaviors and CoA principles.
• Facilitate, promote, and support Lean cultural development Identify and drive transformation that is inclusive of front-line and support organizations.
• Provide education on Lean tools, processes and thinking at your site.
• Ensure consistent application of regional framework standards for management systems and processes.
• Drives the strategic planning processes for the site including development, communication, and follow-up of all strategic activity for the site.
• Leverage Digital Manufacturing and Change Management to embed these tools and processes into the workforce culture.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of manufacturing related experience.
• 5+ years’ experience in a high-speed industrial manufacturing environment/plant experience.
• Experience in Engineering, Operations, Lean Manufacturing, and Maintenance and be very familiar with the application of Lean, CI, OPEX, LSS, adult learning tools and theory.
• Six Sigma Black Belt Certification or progressing towards a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification.
• Possess strong understanding of the broader business and organization and can relate and connect the CI and Capabilities organization to it.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and lead a multi-functional team and foster a proactive team environment.
• Normal scheduled hours will vary based on the need to support a 24/7 Operation.
• Flexibility to travel up to 15% for benchmarking and best practice sharing across the region.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred:

• Experience developing and cascading large-scale strategy, demonstrated problem-solving mindset, strong project management skills, and proficiency with MS Suite.
• Experience in multiple plants, product systems and staff experience, leadership of exempt workforce.
• Experience in change management in addition to coaching and mentoring at all levels to drive collaboration across teams and functions. 
• Change management certification or designation strongly desired (Prosci preferred).

Led by Purpose. Driven by You.

Total Benefits

We believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we're committed to providing them with the resources they need to be successful. If you're looking for a rewarding career with a company that cares about its employees, then Kimberly-Clark is the place for you.​

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Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see www.mykcbenefits.com​

Location: Marinette, Wisconsin

To Be Considered
Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website.

And finally, the fine print….

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world, which is why we seek to build a workforce that encompasses the experiences of our consumers.  When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position. 

Employment is subject to verification of local policies.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests which may include drug screening, background check, and DMV check. 

Veterans and members of the Reserve and Guard are highly encouraged to apply.

Kimberly-Clark will support in-country relocation for the chosen candidate for the role. The benefits provided will be per the terms of Kimberly-Clark’s applicable mobility policies. The benefits/policy provided will be decided at Kimberly-Clark’s sole discretion.

#LI-Onsite

Grade 8: Compensation may vary by location

Salary Range: 127,600 – 157,600 USDAt Kimberly-Clark, pay is just one aspect of our total rewards package, which also includes a variety of benefits and opportunities to achieve, thrive and grow. Along with base pay, this position offers eligibility for a target bonus and a comprehensive benefits suite, including our 401(k) and Profit Sharing plan. The anticipated base pay range for this role is provided above for a fully qualified hire. Actual pay will depend on several factors, such as location, role, skills, performance, and experience. Please note that the stated pay range applies to US locations only.

Primary Location

Marinette, WI, USA

Additional Locations

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time