Overview
Director of Continuous Improvement Jobs in Catawba, SC at CEO Inc.
Title: Director of Continuous Improvement
Company: CEO Inc.
Location: Catawba, SC
Director of Continuous Improvement
Candidates Must Be U.S. Citizens to be eligable for the role.
Paper Mill Experience Preferred
Location: Catawba, SC (On-Site)
Drive Continuous Improvement in a High-Performing Manufacturing Operation
We're partnering with a well-established paper manufacturer that is already operating at a high level but is committed to becoming even better. This isn't a turnaround opportunity, it's a chance to build on an already successful operation by leading strategic Continuous Improvement initiatives that reduce costs, improve efficiency, enhance quality, and strengthen operational performance.
The organization is highly supportive of Continuous Improvement and believes in validating ideas through data, testing, and plant trials before implementing change. If you enjoy working on the manufacturing floor, collaborating across departments, and turning technical ideas into measurable results, this is an outstanding opportunity.
What You'll Do
As the Director of Continuous Improvement, you'll partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Controls, and Quality to identify opportunities, implement improvements, and help strengthen the mill's Continuous Improvement culture.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead mill-wide Continuous Improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, waste elimination, productivity improvements, and operational efficiency.
- Drive Lean Manufacturing tools including 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
- Lead process improvement projects using data analysis, structured problem solving, and plant trials to validate improvements before implementation.
- Develop, monitor, and report KPIs related to productivity, quality, efficiency, and cost savings.
- Partner cross-functionally with Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Controls, and Quality to implement sustainable process improvements.
- Coach leaders and employees on Lean principles while helping build a stronger Continuous Improvement culture.
- Influence change by building trust and credibility across the organization—not simply through title or authority.
Leadership Opportunity
This role provides day-to-day leadership for the Quality Manager while partnering closely with the mill's Process Engineering team. As the current Senior Process Engineer approaches retirement, the position is expected to evolve with additional technical leadership and strategic responsibility over time.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for a technical leader who is comfortable spending time on the manufacturing floor, communicating with employees at every level of the organization, and driving improvements through collaboration and influence.
Qualifications include:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
- Approximately 10+ years of experience in paper manufacturing (strongly preferred) or another continuous process manufacturing environment such as chemicals, metals, steel, mining, building materials, or similar integrated manufacturing operations.
- Strong operational and process engineering background.
- Experience leading Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
- Working knowledge of:
- Lean Manufacturing
- 5S
- Kaizen
- Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
- Root Cause Analysis
- Statistical Process Control (SPC)
- KPI development and performance reporting
- Experience working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Controls, and Quality.
- Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and team development experience.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to simplify technical concepts, gain buy-in from production teams, and build credibility with middle management and frontline leaders.
- Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Why This Opportunity?
- Join a financially stable, high-performing manufacturing operation focused on continuous improvement, not crisis management.
- Lead high-impact projects that directly influence productivity, quality, and operational performance.
- Work for an organization that supports Lean Manufacturing and encourages testing and data-driven decision-making before implementing changes.
- Collaborate with experienced Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality teams that are committed to continuous improvement.
- Opportunity for expanded technical leadership as the organization evolves.
- Competitive compensation package including a 15–20% performance bonus based on plant and KPI performance.
Ideal Experience
Candidates with paper mill experience will have immediate credibility with production teams and a strong understanding of continuous manufacturing operations. However, we also welcome experienced Continuous Improvement leaders from other complex continuous process manufacturing environments who have successfully improved plant performance through technical expertise, collaboration, and operational leadership.
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