Senior Continuous Improvement Manager
Location: Hybrid, with travel between manufacturing sites in Redmond, Oregon; Longview, Texas; and Memphis, Tennessee
Compensation: $150,000–$192,000 DOE + 20% Annual Incentive Plan + 30% Long-Term Incentive Plan
Employment Type: Full-time
About the Company
HireIQ Solutions is leading the search for a Senior Continuous Improvement Manager at a US manufacturer of engineered-to-order HVAC and thermal management systems serving mission-critical environments, including data centers, cleanrooms, and surgical suites. The company designs and manufactures highly customized equipment and has grown rapidly in recent years, scaling from roughly 200 employees to more than 1,000 while continuing to invest in quality, innovation, and accountability. Its culture emphasizes engineering excellence, continuous improvement, direct communication, and shared ownership from leadership to the shop floor.
About the Role
This is a senior operational excellence leadership role for a continuous improvement expert who can take a broad, multi-site view of the business while helping plant and functional leaders strengthen systems, reduce waste, improve flow, and build sustainable process discipline. The role will partner closely with manufacturing leadership and frontline teams to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance across sites, while reinforcing a culture where people take pride in solving complex problems and continuously refining how work gets done. The position is hybrid and includes travel between manufacturing locations in Redmond, Longview, and Memphis. The right leader will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution and bring credibility in Lean deployment, coaching, and change management.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead the deployment of continuous improvement initiatives that improve process reliability, reduce waste, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Partner with operations and manufacturing leadership to identify opportunities, prioritize initiatives, and build action plans that sustain gains over time.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, performance dialogues, and hands-on training that reinforce continuous improvement tools, standard work, and disciplined problem-solving.
• Support the build-out of Lean Manufacturing practices across multiple sites, with a focus on process stability, quality improvement, capacity expansion, and high-trust team development.
• Conduct on-site observations to identify non-standard conditions, recommend corrective actions, and strengthen operational problem-solving.
• Support the development and maintenance of standardized work, operating procedures, and performance measures.
• Analyze operational data and trends to identify performance gaps, guide decisions, and improve execution.
• Partner with site teams using ERP and production data to improve routings, material flow, and execution discipline.
• Prepare reports and presentations that summarize improvement activity, operational trends, and cost savings.
• Benchmark industry best practices and incorporate relevant methods into site operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop direct reports while influencing cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Preferred engineering backgrounds include Industrial, Electrical, Electronics, or Controls Engineering.
• MBA is a plus.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing or operations, including leadership of continuous improvement initiatives; broader multi-site leadership experience is strongly valued.
• Strong working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles, including Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Kanban, and related operational excellence tools.
• Experience with structured operating systems such as TPS, BPS, or VPS is highly valuable.
• SAP or similar ERP familiarity is important, especially around routings, material masters, and production data.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate data into action.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage both frontline teams and senior leadership.
• Strong organization, follow-through, and cross-functional leadership capability.
• Experience in HVAC or related manufacturing environments is preferred.
• Six Sigma and Red-X problem-solving experience are valued.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements
• Hybrid work structure with regular travel between manufacturing sites in Redmond, Oregon; Longview, Texas; and Memphis, Tennessee.
• Travel expectation: approximately 25–50%.
• Office-based work combined with frequent time in production environments.
• Exposure to noise, temperature variation, and industrial equipment during site visits.
• Required use of PPE in production areas.
• Frequent standing and walking in manufacturing environments.
• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs occasionally for job-related activities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, solve problems, and make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Why Join
This is an opportunity to join a growth-oriented manufacturer where continuous improvement is more than a slogan. The culture values transparency, direct communication, accountability, and pride in solving difficult problems. Teams are encouraged to push beyond “good enough,” collaborate across disciplines, and raise the standard for both products and processes. For the right leader, this role offers the chance to shape Lean maturity across sites, elevate safety and quality, expand capacity, and help build high-trust teams in a business serving some of the world’s most demanding mission-critical environments.