Director, Continuous Improvement

A thriving saerosdpace manufacturing company in Danbury is seeking a hands-on, results-driven Director of Continuous Improvement to lead the continuous improvement and operational excellence strategy across manufacturing operations. This position will be based in Danbury& Bethel Connecticut and will support continuous improvement initiatives across the organization.

The Director of Continuous Improvement will partner closely with site and executive leadership to identify and execute initiatives that improve productivity, throughput, quality, labor efficiency, capacity utilization, cost, and on-time delivery. This role will establish a disciplined, sustainable approach to continuous improvement while strengthening accountability, problem solving, standard work, and operational performance.

This leader will work directly with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and frontline employees to translate business and operational priorities into measurable improvement initiatives.

The Director will be highly visible on the manufacturing floor and will play a key role in developing a culture where continuous improvement is embedded into daily operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Continuous Improvement Strategy & Leadership
• Develop and lead AMG’s continuous improvement and operational excellence strategy across manufacturing operations.
• Partner with site and executive leadership to establish improvement priorities aligned with business objectives, customer requirements, and growth plans.
• Develop a structured pipeline of continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, throughput, capacity, quality, cost, labor utilization, scrap, rework, downtime, and on-time delivery.
• Establish clear objectives, accountability, timelines, and performance measures for improvement initiatives.
• Provide leadership with regular visibility into project status, operational impact, cost savings, risks, and opportunities.
• Ensure continuous improvement initiatives deliver measurable and sustainable operational and financial results.
• Operational Excellence
• Strengthen AMG’s Operational Excellence system, including Tier Meetings, Daily
• Management, Visual Controls, Standard Work, KPI management, and structured problem solving.
• Lead Lean manufacturing initiatives utilizing tools such as 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, visual management, root cause analysis, mistake-proofing, and waste elimination.
• Evaluate manufacturing workflows to identify bottlenecks, constraints, non-value-added activities, and opportunities to improve process flow.
• Establish baseline performance measures and quantify improvements, cost savings, cost avoidance, and capacity gains.
• Develop and maintain continuous improvement KPIs and reporting to measure progress and sustain results.
• Ensure improvements are standardized, documented, incorporated into daily operations, and sustained over time.
• Productivity, Capacity & Cost Improvement
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to improve equipment utilization, manufacturing layout, workflow, labor efficiency, cycle time, capacity, and productivity.
• Identify opportunities to increase manufacturing capacity through process improvement, constraint removal, improved scheduling and workflow, and more effective utilization of existing resources.
• Lead initiatives focused on reducing scrap, rework, downtime, process variation, and other operational costs.
• Analyze operational and manufacturing data to identify performance trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop business cases for significant improvement initiatives and evaluate anticipated operational and financial returns.
• Support operational readiness and capacity-building initiatives associated with new programs, customer growth, and increased production requirements.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects from problem identification and root cause analysis through implementation and verification of results.
• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning,
• Maintenance, and other functional teams to resolve operational constraints.
• Work with Quality leadership to reduce recurring nonconformances, scrap, rework, and process variation.
• Support Engineering and Operations in evaluating equipment, tooling, manufacturing methods, layouts, and processes that improve operational performance.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving sessions and ensure corrective actions address root causes and deliver sustainable results.
• Continuous Improvement Culture & Leadership Development
• Build continuous improvement capabilities throughout the organization by coaching managers, supervisors, and employees on Lean principles and structured problem- solving methodologies.
• Develop leaders’ ability to identify performance gaps, determine root causes, implement corrective actions, and sustain improvements.
• Promote employee engagement and encourage shop-floor teams to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
• Establish accountability for continuous improvement as part of daily operational management rather than as stand-alone projects.
• Recognize and communicate successful improvements to reinforce engagement and continuous improvement behaviors.
• Help develop a sustainable culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement across AMG.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Industrial Engineering,
• Business, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent progressive manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence manufacturing engineering, operations, or a related discipline within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading significant Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives with measurable operational and financial results.
• Strong knowledge of Lean methodologies, structured problem solving, root cause analysis, Standard Work, 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, visual management, and waste reduction.
• Demonstrated ability to improve manufacturing KPIs such as productivity, labor efficiency, throughput, capacity utilization, scrap, rework, downtime, cycle time, and on-time delivery.
• Strong project and change management skills with the ability to lead multiple high impact initiatives simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead across functions and organizational levels.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate operational data into actionable improvement priorities.
• Excellent communication, coaching, facilitation, and leadership skills.
• Hands-on leadership style with a strong and consistent presence on the manufacturing floor.
• Ability to travel to AMG facilities as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, metal forming, machining, electroforming, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience working within AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 quality management systems.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification strongly preferred; Green Belt certification with significant demonstrated CI leadership experience will be considered.
• Experience developing or advancing a formal Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement operating system.
• Demonstrated experience delivering significant productivity, capacity, labor-efficiency, quality, and cost-reduction improvements.
• Experience coaching manufacturing leaders and building continuous improvement capabilities across multiple departments or facilities.

Pay: $120,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement

Work Location: In person