Plant Process Manager of Lean Excellence
International Paper
Plant Process Manager of Lean Excellence
Pay Range: $107,680 - $134,600 (PL 14)
Multiple factors, including individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range
Physical Location:
St. Joseph Container Plant
4725 Easton Road
St. Joseph, MO 64503
Position Overview
The Plant Process Manager of Lean Excellence will be responsible for plant level execution of the Lean Transformation Initiative across PSNA. In this role they will partner with Plant leadership and operations to establish Lean capabilities, driving measurable improvements in safety, employee engagement, quality, cost and delivery metrics.
The ideal candidate will have significant and relevant direct manufacturing experience using and leading continuous improvement tools, systems, and methodologies. The preferred candidate exhibits strong leadership capabilities, has knowledge of / experience with 5S, Kaizen events, Standard Work, Visual Management, SMED, problem solving, value stream mapping, and related process improvement methodologies.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead with a safety mindset, drive employee engagement through trust vs. fear. Invest in time to shape a culture that controls exposure and supports our employees.
- Ability to influence without direct responsibility
- Use data to identify gaps in performance versus best practices, working with the Plant leadership and operations will execute the agreed upon improvement plan
- Utilize continuous improvement tools, processes and systems to better safety, quality, efficiency, cost, and reduce waste overall
- Assist with Implementing and managing systems that will sustain improvement efforts
- Lead and coach CI events/Kaizen through hands-on participation
- Partner with site leadership and operations for the improvement of asset utilization and equipment management
- Assist with the development of training materials and effectively deliver in multiple formats to ensure team members throughout the Plant understand CI concepts and philosophy
- Understanding of financial drivers and key performance indicators
- Assist plant teams to drive changeover improvements
- Partner with Plant leadership and Project Manager Lead Excellence to evaluate and drive opportunities for appropriate CI and Lean tool application
- Document best practices and sharing improvements to leverage results
- Key liaison between Plant leadership and Lean Excellence leadership, creating alignment with the strategic stakeholders
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree preferred, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
Minimum 2-5 years of manufacturing experience with progressively greater responsibility (leadership / operations)
Positive and self-motivated attitude with proven determination and passion to manage projects, maintain KPI’s, and see problems through to resolution
Strong interpersonal skills with ability to relate to people at all levels of the organization, including diverse cultures
Ability to analyze data, draw conclusions, make recommendations, and present findings
Demonstrated ability to model the corporate values and principles, including instilling a high performance, people-driven culture
A high level of accuracy with strong attention to detail and quality of work is required
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.).
Corrugated box manufacturing experience preferred
Desired Competencies:
Instills trust
Communicates effectively
Courage
Builds Effective Teams
Manages Complexity
Situational Adaptability
Balances Stakeholders
The Benefits You Will Enjoy:
The Career You Will Build:
Leadership training, promotional opportunities
The Impact You Will Make:
We continue to build a better future for people, the planet, and our company! IP has been a good steward of sustainable practices across communities around the world for more than 125 years. Join our team and you’ll see why our team members say they’re Proud to be IP.
The Culture You Will Experience:
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is the global leader in sustainable packaging solutions. With company headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) headquarters in London, UK, we employ more than 65,000 team members and serve customers around the world with operations in more than 30 countries. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Net sales for 2024 were $18.6 billion. In 2025, International Paper acquired DS Smith creating an industry leader focused on the attractive and growing North American and EMEA regions. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.
