Wenger Corporation is a privately held, leading manufacturer of high-quality music education, performing arts and athletic products. As an innovator, Wenger Corporation knows that great ideas can come from the fresh perspective of a new employee. So we embrace the unique skills and expertise you bring to the table. We skip the micro-management and bureaucracy found in many organizations, and we create an environment of trust and autonomy that gives you the freedom to make decisions, use your talents and make your mark. A company that lets you do what you do best and gives you the freedom to get even better. That is Wenger Corporation.

Our team in Owatonna, MN is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager who will develop, lead, and manage the Wenger Corporation continuous improvement program. This position is responsible for leading the CI efforts to enable core business execution and delivering improved and consistent results in key metrics such as safety, cost, quality, on-time delivery, and customer service.

At a minimum you'll need:

• Bachelor of Science or equivalent work experience
• Five to seven (5-7) years relevant leadership experience
• Three (3) years of successful implementation / execution in continuous improvement systems and tools to achieve results
• Willingness to travel up to 25% to other facilities and job sites
• Demonstrated leadership in a direct line function successfully achieving performance with CI tools
• Proven strong project and program management experience
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills including developing and leading adult training sessions
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite of products

It'd be great if you also have:

• Certifications in Lean Leadership and associated tools (A3, Kaizen, VSM, TPM, six sigma, etc.)
• Experience with analysis and identification of improvement areas and approaches through lean methods, statistical analysis, or Six Sigma techniques
• Change management experience leading and planning the various stages of transformational and transitional change

As the Continuous Improvement Manager a typical day might include:

• Leading the Lean Continuous Improvement (CI) efforts across all Wenger Corporation locations and functions through partnership with functional leaders
• Aligning functional leaders with the goals and objectives of the Continuous Improvement goals and objectives
• Developing and implementing performance tracking of the Continuous Improvement program
• Leading problem-solving initiatives (e.g., root cause analysis) with project stakeholders and team members
• Training on CI fundamentals and processes to engage and empower team members to effect positive change and strengthen organizational competency
• Leading and coaching cross functional team members on fundamentals of CI, tools, techniques, and systems to build skills and capabilities to drive improvement efforts leveraging lean common standards or standard work, planning methods, and improvement approaches across the value streams (productivity and OEE)
• Leading improvement workshops, kaizen events, and other improvement events to yield desired outcomes and results
• Providing continuous improvement plans to align business leaders and help them understand interdependencies, connecting the metrics to business processes and focusing improvement plans to yield productivity improvements to achieve/beat business objectives
• Auditing project results and providing documentation of results and benefits achieved to functional leaders

Benefit offerings include:

• Paid Time Off
• 9 Paid Holidays
• Generous Profit Sharing
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Spending Accounts HSA, FSA, DCFSA
• Company Paid Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program