Lean Manufacturing Specialist

At Wilsonart, we don’t just make surfaces—we build careers. When you join our team, you become part of something bigger: a company driven by innovation, grounded in values, and powered by people who care.

You’ll be surrounded by teammates who take pride in their work and look out for one another. You’ll have the chance to learn, grow and make a real impact. And you’ll be part of a company that believes winning means helping you succeed at work and in life.

Here, you’ll win with:

Support that keeps you well

• Medical, dental, and life insurance

• Company-paid short- and long-term disability

• FSAs and dependent care options

• Vision and legal benefits

• Gym discounts and wellness clinics

• Tuition reimbursement—for you and your dependents

Opportunities to grow

• Clear paths to promotion and internal mobility

• Training, coaching, and mentorship

• Development programs to support your goals

Time for what matters

• Paid vacation and holidays in your first year

• A culture that respects work-life balance

Job Description:

As a Lean Manufacturing Specialist for our Fletcher, NC facility you will guide the plant in developing, executing, and sustaining plant Lean and Americas Cost Out strategy across the product value chain including suppliers, procurement, logistics, production, and supporting organizations. This position will report to the VP of Global Operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Identify non-value steps and develop and implement lean projects across the local plant organization.
• Work with the regional and segment lean teams, as well as management, to ensure implementation buy-in of the plant lean strategy.
• Conduct and facilitate Lean Action Workout sessions or similar Value Stream Mapping activities
• Develop a sense of urgency in the organization for all improvement activities.
• Build and maintain visual controls and metrics aimed at delivering performance data for decision making to management at all levels through-out the plant.
• Collaborate with support functions in implementing lean, metrics, and dashboards for all processes.
• Coordinate and engage organizations outside of SCM (ie. Quality, safety, SPS, etc) in leveraging knowledge and lessons learned from across Wilsonart.
• Always drive safety first and quality into the process. 
• Partner with plant operations to teach and mentor manufacturing personnel
• Achieve specific financial targets related to productivity resulting from LEAN activities. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Highly developed knowledge within a manufacturing environment
• Experience managing cross functional project teams in a global matrix organization including advanced understanding and application of management approaches for work direction, motivation, and project team performance
• Six Sigma Certification, PMP Certification, APICS Certification a plus
• Working knowledge of Toyota Production System or similar required
• Manage teams and projects across cultural barriers, both internal (cross organizational) and external (suppliers and customers) 

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering or a closely related field is required.  Applicable experience may be substituted for education requirements.

Experience:

• 5+ years as a change agent utilizing various methodologies within a manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years Industrial/manufacturing/engineering/LEAN experience

Working Conditions:

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:  Sitting in the same location of standing/walking; required to stoop, climb or lift light material (10-20lbs) or equipment.

ENVIRONMENT:  Located in an indoor area with frequent exposure to mild physical discomfort from dust, fumes, temperature extremes, loud noises and bright lights. 

We’re looking for people who are ready to learn, ready to lead and ready to make a difference. If that sounds like you, you can win at Wilsonart.

Wilsonart is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, order of protection status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.