Director of Continuous Improvement

Overview

Join Reynolds Consumer Products…and Drive Your Career across a world of opportunities! We provide amazing job opportunities for growth with competitive salaries and benefits in an exciting, dynamic, fast-paced, and high-performance organization. Are you looking to build a strong career? Then we have an opportunity for you! We are searching for a Director of Continuous Improvement to join our team located at our corporate headquarters in Lake Forest, IL. 

Responsibilities

Your role: 

 

The Director of Continuous Improvement will lead the Business Unit (BU) in achieving operational excellence by driving safety efficiency, productivity, and disciplined process execution supported by world-class performance measures. This role will be a key architect of the BU’s Continuous Improvement and Digital Factory strategy, leveraging best practices across all manufacturing sites to advance the development of our Boundless Operating System at Reynolds Consumer Products (RCP). 

 

You will have the opportunity to Make Great Things Happen! 

 

• Manage the CI savings budget across the Business Unit, ensuring targets are realistic and deliver measurable value back to the business.
• Plan and oversee tactical projects to improve existing processes, including developing schedules and budgets; ensure cost-benefit analyses are completed to define the financial, business, and industry impacts of initiatives.
• Support business leaders in building medium- and long-term CI strategies that align with and deliver the projected CI savings budget.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for the core pillars of the Boundless Operating System, providing training and guidance to ensure sustained results and successful adoption of the PEPS process.
• Design and deploy the digital manufacturing (IoT) strategy, coaching plant teams on implementation and enabling sustainable performance improvements.
• Drive process and systems improvements across plants, implementing programs that deliver ongoing, long-term benefits.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of CI programs and initiatives, measuring progress against goals and acting as a catalyst for change within the organization.
• Ensure optimal performance of existing processes, achieving continuous year-over-year reductions in conversion costs.
• Lead CI initiatives including Kaizen events in 5S, SMED, TPM, VSM, PDCA, and A3 problem solving.
• Promote Lean methodologies such as Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, Daily Management, Layered Audits, and Business Plan Development to eliminate waste and embed a culture of continuous improvement.
• Advise and influence senior leadership on business transformation, organizational effectiveness, performance results, and change management, addressing both complexity and business impact.
• Lead and develop teams, providing coaching, mentorship, and evaluation to associates at all levels of experience.
• Design and deliver Lean training across all organizational levels, reinforcing operational excellence standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including management, engineering, and operations, to align manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and business requirements with process improvements.

You will love it here if… 

• You put safety first, always.
• You listen, learn, and evolve.
• You are passionate about collaboration, teamwork, and achieving shared goals.
• You treat all people with respect, operating ethically, and embrace inclusivity.
• You are committed to improving our impact on local communities.

 

Qualifications

We need you to have: 

 

• BA/BS degree in Engineering, Supply Chain or related field.
• 10+ years of related professional Manufacturing with experience in Continuous Improvement and Operations.
• 3+ years in a leadership role focused on continuous improvement or operational excellence.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt strongly preferred.
• Previous experience with Automation and SAP strongly preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced expertise in Excel.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and communicate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Highly self-motivated and adaptable, able to thrive in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with keen attention to detail.
• Proven project management experience, capable of leading multiple initiatives from planning through successful execution.
• Flexible and dependable, able to