Regional Continuous Improvement Manager, West

COMPANY BACKGROUND:

Morgan Truck Body isn't just the largest manufacturer of medium-duty freight and refrigerated truck bodies in North America - we're a dynamic, fast-growing force revolutionizing the trucking industry! Born from a humble welding shop in 1952 Morgantown, PA, on the historic grounds of Conestoga wagon manufacturing, we've expanded into 14 cutting-edge manufacturing plants and 8 service hubs across the U.S. and Canada - and we're just getting started.

JB Poindexter & Co (JBPCO) is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company forecasting $2.75B in annual revenue and 9,000 team members in 2026. JBPCO prides itself on providing best-in-class commercial automotive and industrial vehicles. The nine operating subsidiaries, covering approximately 70 locations, are engaged in the production of commercial truck bodies, step-vans, utility trucks, ambulances, funeral coaches, limousines, electric and alternative fuel vehicles, pickup truck bed enclosures, and expandable foam plastic packaging. For more information about our industry leading brands and products visit JBPoindexter.com or connect on LinkedIn.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Regional Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for the deployment and execution of the PLPS (Pondexter Lean Production System) in a region made up of approximately six plants. This position is responsible for understanding the current process state, identifying efficiency/improvement opportunities, then leading cross-functional team members to drive process improvements tied to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the business utilizing Lean and Continuous Improvement principles and tools.

Operating in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, this position demands both strategic thinking and a hands-on approach. Depending on business needs, the manager is expected to work directly on the shop floor to lead, implement, and sustain process improvements at the point of impact.

Focus areas include but are not limited to; cycle time and lead time reduction, root cause analysis through PDCA, process re-designs that result in the reduction of the number of steps and eliminate other forms of process waste, productivity improvements, visual management implementation, standard work definition, etc. Automation opportunities will be identified, documented, and applied where necessary.

The Regional Continuous Improvement Manager will also teach and apply Lean & CI principles to achieve self-sustaining processes.

Regions include: West: WI/TX/CA/AZ/OR; East: PA/CT/OH/FL/GA/Canada.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Document current processes and propose improvements through Kaizen events, VSMs, and problem-solving tools.
• Standardize processes across various business units, developing Standard Operating Procedures, work standards, 5S activities, displaying manufacturing KPIs across all plants.
• Implement process management/improvement initiatives following Lean & CI principle.
• Create new self-sustaining processes and tracking systems through the appropriate manufacturing KPIs, Kaizen activities and savings.
• Assist in training Lean & CI principles to line staff and other team members in the use of tools and methodologies as part of the improvement project execution
• Lead process changes, improvements, value stream mapping, financial savings calculation and validation
• Champion communication across the manufacturing plants and between Morgan and its parent company
• Facilitate and lead cross-functional teams to achieve Kaizen objectives
• Increase workflow efficiency and productivity through line balancing and waste elimination.
• Mentor employees as they apply Lean methodology to problem solving and project execution
• Publish progress reports
• Follow and comply with all Environmental Health & Safety policies

EXPERTISE (MUST):

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years' experience in Discrete manufacturing, applying Lean manufacturing and problem-solving tools
• 5+ years' work experience in Lean & Continuous Improvement activities and financial calculation of savings, budget forecasting, ROI calculation and ration analysis.
• 5+ year of experience in the implementation of a visual factory (visual management), displaying real time information for team members and management staff
• Trained in Lean Six Sigma Principles (5S, Waste Reduction, Error/Mistake Proofing, PDCA, Root Cause Analysis, A3 Problem Solving, VSM, KAIZEN, Lead Time Reduction)
• Strong analytical skills and extensive experience