VP, Continuous Improvement

About Us:

Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, USA, Afinitas is the global market leader for pipe and precast concrete equipment, forming systems and concrete accessories used to build the world’s critical transportation, water and utility infrastructure systems. Afinitas is known for the innovative technologies and services it provides through its trusted HawkeyePedershaab, BFS, New Hampton Metal Fab and other well-known brands, which customers have relied upon for decades. Afinitas is a part of BW Forsyth Partners, LLC, the investment arm of Barry-Wehmiller, a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world.

Job Description:

POSITION SUMMARY

The Corporate Vice President of Continuous Improvement (CI) will lead strategic, transformational, and operational improvement strategies to drive growth and productivity for the global enterprise. This person will lead diverse teams through direct & indirect leadership with analytics, communication, execution, and collaboration. This individual must be an innovative leader providing evaluative advice and counsel on key business decisions to all levels throughout the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a key member of leadership and contribute to the development and execution of the global commercial, operational, and organizational strategies and plans.
• Establish and support a CI culture, identifying opportunities to teach and utilize Lean tools and principles to improve yields, downtime, safety, cost, and overall business improvement.
• Build, activate, and optimize capabilities to support excellence in planning and execution of operational, commercial, and functional excellence.
• Lead the implementation of the BW Way system across sites.
  • X-matrix alignment
  • Kaizen facilitation
  • Green Belt & Black Belt Certification
• Contribute to the alignment of strategic and daily objectives across all platforms.
• Identify and lead cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives using data to target and drive cost & lead time reduction.
• Champion process improvement excellence and cross facility collaboration to achieve optimized performance across our manufacturing footprint and the achievement of business goals.
• Analyze key metrics and apprise stakeholders of observed trends, inconsistencies, and opportunities.
• Drive accountability for both operational targets and business results.
• Lead project teams, developing business case and ROI for growth. Devise project plans to manage projects from inception to control including the development of KPIs to ensure process improvement is stable and sustainable.
• Ensures programs educate and motivate employees to achieve a culture of continuous improvement.
• Utilizes Six Sigma/Lean methodologies and typically is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10-15 years of related work experience leading continuous improvement in a high performing organization.
• Experience in a strategic leadership role that required formulating plans and policy and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
• Ability to communicate and present complex information in a concise, compelling and positive manner, as well as to listen and consider different points of view.
• Have a strong global perspective with the ability to connect across cultures and navigate complex relationships.
• Have a demonstrated ability to lead through influence to drive higher levels of business performance.
• Be adept in continuous improvement toolsets (Lean, Six Sigma, etc).
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex business issues and turn vision & strategy into practical, actionable, and quantifiable plans.
• Possess a strong financial acumen; able to collect, format, and analyze data related to complex Strategic Commercial Excellence initiatives with a full understanding of P/L impact. Ability to use this analysis tool to provide leadership with clear & concise solutions to business needs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This is an office position that will require travel to a manufacturing facility. The employee must be able to correctly wear and use any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required by the employer when in the manufacturing area.

COMPETENCIES

• Optimizes Work Processes
• Customer Focus
• Instills Trust
• Drives Results
• Communicates Effectively
• Manages Complexity
• Strategic Mindset
• Leverages Business Insight
• Collaborates
• Plans & Aligns
• Drives Engagement

At Barry-Wehmiller we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. We know that our differences often can bring about innovation, excellence and meaningful work—therefore, people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require reasonable accommodations during the interview process. ​

Barry-Wehmiller is an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V This organization uses E-Verify.

Applicants may be subject to pre-employment screening which may include drug screening, reference checks, employment verifications, background screening and/or skills assessments.

Company:

Afinitas