Associate Manager Global Continuous Improvement

Title: Associate Manager, Global Continuous Improvement

Location: Westchester, IL

Reports To: Director, Global IPS

Workplace Type: Onsite

The Associate Manager Global Continuous Improvement is responsible for executing the strategic initiatives of the Ingredion Performance System (IPS) Management System, ensuring alignment and integration across all segments and regions. This role focuses on the operational deployment, adherence, and continuous improvement of IPS tools, processes, and practices. The Associate Manager serves as a key connector between functional teams, segment leaders, and the Global IPS strategy, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and sustainability.

Core Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Global, Regional, and Site IPS teams to develop and refine IPS Management Pillar tools, training materials, handbooks, global standardized templates, and assessment criteria.
• Support the design of new, or improved, IPS initiatives by providing insights into practice implementation needs and system integration opportunities.
• Participate in the creation of dashboards, applications, key metric standardization, and goal-setting and cascading practices, along with the Global Operations Analytics Team to measure, improve, and sustain IPS Performance.
• Works closely with segments, connectivity, and data analytics teams to identify and deploy performance trends useful to improve segment performance.
• Leverage analytical and problem-solving skills to support plant management on the identification of key success drivers and execution of improvement objectives.
• Own the execution of IPS Management Pillar initiatives, ensuring alignment with the IPS strategy and organizational KPIs.
• Support the implementation and execution of IPS Management Pillar and tools across assigned segments, managing timelines, gap-closure actions, resources, and communication plans.
• Ability to lead and/or support segment waste reduction activities, including cost reduction and productivity enhancements, by leveraging analytical and problem-solving skills to support plant management in identifying key success drivers and executing improvement objectives.  
• Acts as a primary point of contact for segment leaders and functional teams, facilitating the deployment of IPS practices and tools.
• Establish and maintain routines to monitor compliance with IPS Management Pillar standards, conducting regular assessments to ensure adherence to global practices.
• Provide guidance and support to segment teams to address barriers to compliance, implementing corrective actions where needed.
• Ensure that all IPS processes and tools are applied consistently across global teams, contributing to system sustainability and standardization.
• Conduct regular evaluations of IPS Management Pillar tools and processes, identifying opportunities for improvement and providing recommendations to the Global IPS team.
• Serve as a key participant in the annual review cycle of materials, handbooks, and assessment criteria, updating content to align with evolving business needs and best practices.
• Drive initiatives to close skill gaps within all necessary teams by coordinating training sessions and delivering targeted educational programs, related to specific KPIs, Management System tools and methodology, etc.
• Foster collaboration with segment owners, functional teams, and IPS Pillar leaders to support integrated IPS initiatives.
• Serves as a main liaison for other Global IPS Pillars (Safety, Quality, People, Reliability) to ensure collaboration and cohesive Management System practices.
• Share segment best practices and benchmarking opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned with the broader IPS community to promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with the functional teams to identify gaps and recommend adequate resolution strategies (routines, improvement, and/ or projects) necessary to achieve the performance of TOP KPIs.
• Acts as a liaison between the Global IPS Director and on-the-ground teams, ensuring strategic objectives translate into actionable tasks and measurable outcomes.

The Human Resources Business Partner position is well-suited for you if you:

• Passion for Management System implementation and Continuous Improvement.
• Encourage collaboration and experimentation to create safer and more efficient working methods.
• Build long-term relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated self-starter with strong leadership skills and a results-oriented approach.
• Proactively identify areas for improvement and implement solutions that incre