Continuous Improvement Lead
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field is preferred.
- Ten or more years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, supply chain, or a related environment, including at least five years leading continuous improvement initiatives, is preferred.
- Lean certification and/or Six Sigma Black Belt is preferred; demonstrated equivalent capability may be considered.
- Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, structured problem solving, daily management systems, value stream improvement, and change management principles.
- Ability to assess processes, identify performance gaps, develop improvement plans, and align actions with organizational objectives and business priorities.
- Success leading process improvement projects that deliver measurable operational and financial results; experience in large or complex manufacturing organizations is preferred.
- Financial acumen to evaluate project benefits, manage budgetary resources, and connect improvement work to cost, productivity, and margin impact.
- Analytical and statistical skills to interpret data, identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and make data-driven decisions.
- Leadership and influencing skills to guide, motivate, and align cross-functional teams without direct authority.
- Success coaching and mentoring leaders and frontline teams in Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving tools, and continuous improvement behaviors.
- Written, verbal, listening, facilitation, and presentation skills to engage audiences from shop floor teams to platform leadership.
- Ability to recommend practical, fit-for-purpose solutions without creating unnecessary complexity or cost.
- Interpersonal skills to build trust, navigate conflict, foster collaboration, and maintain effective relationships across a diverse stakeholder group.
- Organizational, planning, and project management skills to manage multiple priorities and solve manufacturing and supply chain-related issues.
- Ability to travel occasionally by air or car.
- Ability to lift, move, or transfer items up to 30 pounds occasionally.
- Translate platform and site business priorities into annual and multi-year continuous improvement plans for Green Bay plants and value streams.
- Deploy and sustain a standardized continuous improvement operating system that drives execution, accountability, and performance across the site.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, and people performance.
- Provide hands-on expertise, facilitation, coaching, and tactical support as an internal improvement partner to ensure appropriate interventions are implemented.
- Establish follow-up plans, accountability routines, sustainment audits, and control mechanisms to ensure improvements are adopted and maintained.
- Plan and facilitate improvement events, workshops, and training sessions that build capability, improve process performance, and support business strategy.
- Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functions to identify improvement opportunities and implement sustainable solutions.
- Champion continuous improvement by enabling teams through structured methodologies, standard work, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Develop, maintain, and review KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics to measure operational efficiency, project impact, and progress against improvement targets.
- Facilitate root cause analysis and problem-solving methods, including A3, DMAIC, RCCM, 5 Whys, and fishbone analysis, to resolve complex operational issues.
- Coach and mentor leaders and frontline teams to build continuous improvement capability, ownership, and accountability.
- Lead cross-functional projects to align with business objectives, timelines, resource plans, and financial targets.
- Apply Lean manufacturing tools, including Kaizen, value stream mapping, SMED, standard work, visual management, 5S, and waste elimination, to optimize processes.
- Promote safety, compliance, operational discipline, and data-driven decision making across the organization.
- Evaluate internal processes to identify areas for improvement.
- Evaluate current state and desired goals, and develop KPIs.
- Scope projects and gather supporting background data.
- Facilitate Lean initiatives and coach, mentor, and teach Lean tools to team members.
- Develop training materials and assist with creating standard operating procedures.
- Oversee implementation, track progress toward efficiency and goals, and ensure Lean tools and standard operating procedures are sustained.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Experience in large or complex manufacturing organizations is preferred.
- A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field is preferred.
- Ten or more years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, supply chain, or a related environment, including at least five years leading continuous improvement initiatives, is preferred.
- Lean certification and/or Six Sigma Black Belt is preferred; demonstrated equivalent capability may be considered.
About the company
Barry-Wehmiller provides capital equipment and engineering solutions for manufacturing, helping clients improve operations through design, integration, and installation of machinery and systems. Their products and services cover the lifecycle of capital equipment for manufacturing, from concept through delivery and support. The company differentiates itself with a people-first culture called Truly Human Leadership, focusing on the growth and well-being of team members, which they say leads to better performance and better outcomes for customers and communities. Its goal is to build a better world by developing people and delivering reliable solutions that positively impact the lives of employees, customers, suppliers, and communities.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
St. Louis, Missouri
Founded
1885
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- BW Packaging's July 2026 Crown partnership expands North American distribution through 50 branches.
- BW Papersystems installed its 50th ServoPro Rotary Die Cutter on March 5, 2026.
- Barry-Wehmiller appointed Sukumar Bhasker in June 2026 to scale its Chennai GCC.
What critics are saying
- Bob Chapman's March 2026 death ended the culture's original architect; succession risk rises now.
- BW Packaging's 2026 integration of three divisions creates execution risk across plants, systems, and sales.
- If Kyle Chapman dilutes Bob's people-first brand, Barry-Wehmiller loses its core employer advantage.
What makes Barry-Wehmiller unique
- Kyle Chapman now chairs Barry-Wehmiller after Bob's March 2026 death, preserving family stewardship.
- BW Packaging, BW Converting, and BW Papersystems combine automation, conversion, and integration across industries.
- Barry-Wehmiller's people-first operating model still differentiates hiring and retention across 141-year-old platforms.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Professional Development Budget
Company News
Veteran GCC leader brings 20-plus years of global operations experience to Barry-Wehmiller. CHENNAI, India - June 2 - Barry-Wehmiller is pleased to announce the appointment of Sukumar Bhasker as Vice President - Global Competency Center (GCC), based in Chennai, India. In this role, Sukumar will lead the continued growth, capability-building and strategic evolution of Barry-Wehmiller's GCC, strengthening its role as a critical engine for global innovation, engineering excellence and shared services delivery. Sukumar joins Barry-Wehmiller with more than two decades of global experience in building, scaling and transforming Global Business Services (GBS) and GCC operations across geographies, including India, China, Mexico and Romania. Most recently, he served as Partner, Technology Consulting (GCC/GBS), at EY, where he advised global organizations on setting up and scaling technology and business service centers. Prior to that, Sukumar spent several years at Flex, where he led global IT GCC operations, overseeing a workforce of more than 1,500 team members and driving enterprise-wide digital transformation, process excellence and talent initiatives. Throughout his career, Sukumar has demonstrated a strong ability to align business strategy with technology innovation, leading initiatives in artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, data platforms and digital transformation. He has also been deeply committed to building high-performing teams, driving team member engagement and championing diversity, equity and inclusion. "Sukumar brings a unique blend of global experience, operational depth and a strong people-first mindset," said Carol O'Neill, Chief Transformation Officer, who leads Barry-Wehmiller's GCC strategy. "His track record of building and transforming large-scale global centers, combined with his focus on developing people and strengthening culture, makes him the right leader to take our GCC to the next phase of growth." "I am honored to join Barry-Wehmiller, a company renowned for its people-centric culture and commitment to meaningful leadership," said Sukumar. "As a GCC leader in India, I look forward to driving innovation, fostering collaboration and empowering our teams to create lasting impact together. Here's to a journey of growth, purpose and shared success." In his new role, Sukumar will focus on expanding the GCC's capabilities, deepening its integration with Barry-Wehmiller's global platforms and enabling innovation-led growth while continuing to build a strong, people-focused culture. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in electronics and communication engineering and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in operations management. He has completed multiple professional certifications, including an Advanced Diploma in GBS (CIMA) and a Certified Corporate Director (IOD) designation.
Kyle chapman of Barry-Wehmiller to give keynote at new north Summit. Kyle Chapman, president and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, will provide a keynote address at the upcoming New North Summit, scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, at the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay. He will honor the legacy of his father, Bob, around the goal of building a more caring world through people-first business practices. Bob Chapman had been scheduled to provide a keynote at this year's Summit prior to his passing this past March 19. Bob Chapman, chairman and former CEO of Barry-Wehmiller Group, had shared his business philosophy in the 2015 best-seller, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family, co-authored with Raj Sisodia. The book, which will be given to all New North Summit attendees, has sold more than 110,000 copies and has been translated into eight languages; it was re-released in a revised and expanded edition in 2025. Registration for the event remains open; a link to register can be found at www.newnorthsummit.com. "We are most appreciative that Kyle Chapman has agreed to step in for his father as a speaker at this year's New North Summit to help us honor Bob," says New North President and CEO Patti Habeck. "The philosophy of Barry- Wehmiller challenges traditional thinking about how to run a business, and offers simple, yet groundbreaking, ideas on how to create safe, healthy and fulfilling work environments. I believe that Kyle's words will be highly impactful to our guests." The keynote address of Kyle Chapman, sponsored by Capital Credit Union, will highlight how Barry-Wehmiller is redefining what success in business looks like by demonstrating how economic growth and human vibrancy work in harmony. The company's success and its leadership approach initiated by Bob Chapman was featured in a case study by Harvard Business School that is now taught at 70-plus business schools around the world. Kyle Chapman's tenure at Barry-Wehmiller began in 2009, when he co-founded BW Forsyth Partners, today a thriving $850 million-plus organization. He became the interim chief financial officer of Barry-Wehmiller early in 2020, and added CEO to his title in 2025 when Bob Chapman stepped down from the role after 50 years of leadership. Kyle Chapman holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University. Before joining Barry-Wehmiller, he worked in private equity and operations for multiple companies, including Banc of America Capital Investors, where he completed approximately $300 million in investments across numerous industries. Additional keynote addresses will be given by Rima Alaily, corporate VP and general counsel at Microsoft, and by Denise Thomas, leadership strategist and author of the best-selling The Only One in the Room. The New North Summit opens with a performance of the National Anthem by Lawrence University Associate Professor of Voice Estelí Gomez. Praised by The New York Times for her "clear, bright voice," she is acclaimed for her artistry in early and contemporary music. A soprano who has appeared on major symphonic, film and television recordings, Gomez is a two-time Grammy winner with the ensemble Roomful of Teeth. The afternoon session includes a pair of concurrent breakout sessions: a panel on cross-industry talent development strategies and a roundtable discussion on entrepreneurship. The talent session will focus on New North's role in industry alliances and talent-related initiatives, followed by a roundtable discussion with regional leaders in the construction, digital and healthcare industries. The entrepreneurship session will include a panel of successful entrepreneurs from the New North region. The New North Summit wraps up with a networking reception from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Additional event agenda updates will be provided at www.newnorthsummit.com on an ongoing basis. WHERE: Lambeau Field Atrium 1265 Lombardi Ave.; Green Bay, Wis. WHEN: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. New North, Inc., is a 501(c)3 non-profit, regional economic development corporationfostering collaboration among private and public sector leaders throughout the 18 counties of Northeast Wisconsin, known as the New North region. The New North brand unites the region both internally and externally around talent development, brand promotion and business development, signifying the collective economic power behind the 18 counties. The counties include Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago. www.thenewnorth.com
BW Design Group, a fully integrated architecture, engineering, and construction firm and a leading system integrator serving clients in the food and beverage, life sciences, household and personal care, and advanced technology sectors, has announced the acquisition of Malisko, a nationally recognized system integration and automation company.
The Clayton-based company said Carol O'Neill, previously group president of packaging, has taken on the role of Barry-Wehmiller's chief transformation officer, effective Feb. 15.