Kaizen Group Lead

Primary Objective:

Lead the Kaizen function by directing two distinct work teams: (1) the TPS Improvement Activity Team, including standardization and control of operational documents, and (2) the Shop Team responsible for fabrication and approved process-flow and layout modifications. Ensure work is performed safely, effectively, and in alignment with company requirements, customer expectations, IATF-based quality-system controls, and Toyota Production System principles. Own and promote the plantwide Team Member Kaizen Suggestion Program, including suggestion tracking, implementation coordination, monthly recognition, and reward administration. Provide daily leadership, administrative oversight, people development, and cross-functional coordination while maintaining a clear boundary that the Shop Team does not perform mechanical or electrical modifications to production machinery.

Major Responsibilities

• Plan, prioritize, assign, and track daily, weekly, and monthly Kaizen activities based on plant needs, improvement priorities, available resources, and agreed completion dates.
• Direct Kaizen Team Leaders and team members, set clear expectations, verify progress, remove barriers, and hold routine follow-up meetings to sustain accountability.
• Balance workload and resources between the TPS Improvement Activity Team and Shop Team while coordinating support for manufacturing, quality, maintenance, engineering, safety, and other stakeholders.
• Communicate status, risks, delays, resource needs, and completed results to department management using concise reports, activity trackers, and visual management.
• Ensure employees follow company rules, safety requirements, quality procedures, standardized work, and established escalation processes.
• Administer attendance requirements and corrective action in accordance with company policy, established approval authority, consistent documentation practices, and Human Resources guidance.
• Coach and develop Team Leaders and team members through job instruction, feedback, problem-solving support, cross-training, and follow-up on assigned development actions.
• Respond to abnormalities, establish containment when needed, identify root causes, confirm countermeasures, and verify sustained results.
• Promote respect for people, teamwork, workplace organization, cost awareness, and continuous improvement across all Kaizen activities.
• Maintain accurate records for assignments, training, attendance-related administration, corrective actions, improvement activity, project status, and completed work.

Team 1: TPS Improvement Activity Team

• Lead structured improvement activities that reduce waste, improve flow, shorten lead time, strengthen built-in quality, and make work safer and easier.
• Guide problem solving using direct observation, fact-based analysis, root-cause identification, countermeasure planning, trial implementation, and verification of results.
• Establish and maintain visual management for project scope, targets, owners, timing, status, risks, and results.
• Coordinate development and revision of standardized work, work instructions, forms, check sheets, process standards, and supporting records.
• Ensure controlled documents are clearly identified, reviewed, approved, current at the point of use, protected from unintended change, and removed or replaced when obsolete, consistent with the site document-control process and applicable IATF requirements.
• Partner with process owners, Quality, Safety, Engineering, Maintenance, and Production to confirm changes are practical, authorized, communicated, trained, and sustained.
• Conduct follow-up audits or verification checks to confirm standards are being followed and improvements remain effective.

Team 2: Shop Team - Fabrication and Process Modification

• Lead safe fabrication of approved items that support ergonomics, organization, material presentation, visual control, and process-flow improvement, such as carts, racks, tables, guards not integral to machine control, fixtures, signs, and workplace-organization aids.
• Plan and execute approved changes to process flow and workplace layout, including relocation or arrangement of non-powered workstations, storage, material routes, presentation devices, and visual controls.
• Confirm scope, dimensions, materials, timing, hazards, stakeholder approvals, and installation plans before work begins.
• Ensure fabricated items and layout changes meet applicable safety, quality, ergonomic, housekeeping, and operational requirements before release for use.
• Maintain control of shop tools, consumables, drawings, work requests, project status, and completed-work records.
• Coordinate installation timing to minimize production disruption and verify the completed condition with the requesting area.
• Do not authorize or perform mechanical or electrical modifications to production machinery. Escalate machine modifications, controls changes, guarding changes tied to machine function, utility connections, and other technical work to the authorized Engineering, Maintenance, Safety, or qualified contractor process.

Plantwide Kaizen Suggestion Program

• Serve as chairperson and primary promoter of the plantwide Team Member Kaizen Suggestion Program, encouraging participation across departments and shifts.
• Receive, acknowledge, log, and track Kaizen suggestions from all plant Team Members; coordinate review, assignment, implementation, verification, and closure while maintaining clear status records.
• Facilitate cross-functional evaluation of suggestions for safety, quality, feasibility, cost, expected benefit, ownership, and timing, and communicate decisions and progress to the submitter and affected stakeholders.
• Administer the Monthly Kaizen Award and associated rewards system, including nomination or eligibility review, selection coordination, recognition, reward processing, and required records.
• Adjust program methods, communications, recognition practices, and reward-system design as needed to increase Team Member participation, provided changes remain within the approved budget and comply with applicable company policies and approval requirements.
• Monitor participation, implementation, benefits, award activity, and program spending; report results, risks, and improvement opportunities to department management.

Leadership and Administrative Duties

• Monitor staffing, attendance, overtime needs, training status, qualifications, and daily coverage for both teams.
• Apply policies consistently, document facts promptly, maintain confidentiality, and consult management or Human Resources before issuing corrective action when required by policy.
• Conduct coaching and performance discussions focused on expectations, observed behavior, impact, required correction, support, and follow-up.
• Review timekeeping, attendance records, required forms, and other assigned administrative records for accuracy and timely completion.
• Support selection, onboarding, qualification, cross-training, and succession development for Kaizen Team Leaders and team members.
• Lead regular team communication covering safety, priorities, status, changes, lessons learned, and upcoming work.

Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Conduct and document appropriate pre-job risk reviews for fabrication, installation, and layout-change activities; stop work and escalate when conditions are unsafe or outside team authorization.
• Ensure required PPE, tool inspections, hot-work controls, lockout/tagout boundaries, lifting practices, housekeeping, and permit requirements are followed as applicable to assigned work.
• Protect product and process quality by verifying that changes do not introduce contamination, damage, mixed material, incorrect flow, access restrictions, or other unintended risks.
• Support audits, corrective actions, document updates, training evidence, and closure of findings within assigned responsibility.
• Ensure changes are reviewed through applicable plant change-management and approval processes before implementation.

Qualifications and Experience

• High school diploma or G.E.D. required; technical, business, quality, or leadership education is preferred.
• Prior experience leading people in a manufacturing, continuous-improvement, production-support, fabrication, or related environment is preferred.
• Working knowledge of TPS concepts, standardized work, visual management, waste elimination, problem solving, kaizen, and process-flow improvement.
• Working knowledge of document-control discipline and the role of documented information within an automotive quality-management system.
• Ability to interpret layouts, sketches, work instructions, procedures, project plans, and basic fabrication drawings.
• Ability to plan work, manage multiple priorities, track deadlines, write clear reports, and communicate effectively across functions and organizational levels.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other plant-approved tracking or reporting systems.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, apply policy consistently, address conflict professionally, and make decisions within assigned authority.
• Ability to work with limited direct supervision and to support fixed or rotating shifts, production schedules, and overtime as business needs require.

Physical Activity and Work Environment

• Work is performed in office, shop, and manufacturing-floor environments with exposure to noise, moving equipment, fabrication activities, material-handling traffic, and variable temperatures.
• Requires regular walking and standing, along with occasional bending, kneeling, reaching, climbing, pushing, pulling, and handling of tools or materials within established safe-lifting practices.
• Requires use of assigned PPE and compliance with all applicable machine guarding, lockout/tagout, hot-work, fall-protection, mobile-equipment, and safe-work requirements.

Measures of Successful Performance

• Safe completion of assigned activities with effective hazard control and timely escalation of concerns.
• On-time completion of improvement, fabrication, layout, documentation, and administrative commitments.
• Sustained improvement in flow, workplace organization, standard adherence, quality, productivity, cost, and team capability.
• Accurate, current, approved, and usable documents at the point of work.
• Consistent policy administration, complete records, effective follow-up, and constructive development of Team Leaders and team members.
• Clear project ownership, transparent status reporting, effective cross-functional coordination, and verified customer acceptance of completed work.
• Effective administration of the Kaizen Suggestion Program, including timely suggestion follow-up, increased Team Member participation, completed implementations, meaningful recognition, accurate records, and spending within the approved budget.