Continuous Improvement Manager

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. 

PREFERRED CANDIDATE IDENTIFIED

• Estimated annual base pay:  $105,000.00(minimum) - $136,000.00(midpoint) - $168,000.00(maximum)
• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity. 
• 401(k) match (4.5%)
• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members  
• 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays. 
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire
• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave. 
• Paid parental leave.
• Adoption Assistance  
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits. 
• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life 
• Member referral bonus 
• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending 
• Voluntary benefits, including:  
  • Home / Auto Insurance discounts 
  • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave 

Key Responsibilities:

• Business System Coach: Coach the deployment and maturity of the Woodward Production System for the Value Stream
• Develop a Problem-Solving Culture: Serve as a role model and advocate for a culture where employees at all levels embrace problem-solving as a daily practice.
• Develop Leaders as Coaches: Provide training, tools, and guidance to help leaders, within the Value Stream, become effective coaches who empower their teams while supporting their personal growth and development in efforts of building a pipeline of future leaders.
• Strategic Partnership: Share ownership of overall performance with Value Stream leader to ensure alignment, accountability, and shared ownership in the execution of operational goals and objectives.
• Align Goals Across the Value Stream: Ensure that site-level objectives are cascaded clearly and effectively through all value stream departments, teams, and individuals, aligning efforts with strategic priorities.

Key Skills:

• Technical Expertise: Demonstrates proficiency with the Woodward Production System (WPS)
• Coaching Expertise: Strong understanding of coaching principles and the ability to mentor leaders at all levels within the value stream.
• Problem-Solving: Strong knowledge of the structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., A3, PDCA, root cause analysis).
• Facilitation Skills: Ability to facilitate training, improvement workshops and Kaizen activities with a diverse group of participants.
• Collaborative Relationship Building: Ability to work effectively with leaders across functions, fostering trust and alignment.
• Strategic Alignment: Ability to take the site objectives and flow them down to the value stream level deliverables (SQDC)
• Continuous Improvement Tools & Processes: Strong knowledge of 5S, Visual Management, Standardized Work, Daily Management Systems, Flow / Pull, Value Stream Mapping and Improvement through Kaizen.
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Strong interpersonal skills to build trust and rapport with employees at all levels.
• Create a Safe Environment for Experimentation: Foster an atmosphere where employees feel safe to surface problems, test ideas, and learn from failures.
• Standardize and Sustain Improvements: Ability to work with teams to implement and standardize improved processes, ensuring sustainability and continuous improvement.

Other Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree in Management or a related technical field or a Master’s degree is highly desirable.
• Previous professional experience in a manufacturing setting or military service is valued.
• Proven track record in successfully implementing Lean or Six Sigma methodologies is essential.
• Leadership experience in a manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
• Candidates must hold a Green Belt or Black Belt Certification or be able to obtain one within their first year in the role.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws.