Continuous Improvement Manager

Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a leading global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Our businesses deliver a broad range of products and solutions to customers in every corner of the globe, serving the transportation, infrastructure, environment and consumer industry sectors. We bring the power of innovative chemistry to solve customers' challenges today while preparing them to meet tomorrow’s needs. Our commitment to innovation is driven by a passion to advance our customers' businesses through our deep understanding of their applications and the global trends that impact their operations.

If you do not meet every requirement, or your experience is slightly different that what we have listed, we still encourage you to apply! 

Position Summary

This role is responsible for the leadership of cross-functional teams, responsible for operational/quality improvements, cost reduction, and unit reliability to drive improved business outcomes, Participate in the development of key manufacturing projects and improvement initiatives and lead their implementation.  Serve as a primary interface between plant and global functional teams, organize resources to address the business objectives aimed at improved operations, costs, quality, and unit reliability that support the goals of the plant/business/division.  Aid in the development of implementation plans to achieve plant objectives, transfer of technology, best practices, quality improvements, and other improvement efforts.  Drive solutions to complex problems; develop clear problem statements, project requirements, milestone schedules, and documentation to support decision-making and facilitate implementation.

Job Requirements (Principal Responsibilities)

·       Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the local organization, including control and statistical methods, and assist plant management to formulate and implement plant-wide continuous improvement strategies and plans, drive systematic optimization and lean transformation across all operational departments.

·       Acting as interface between Plant and PDL, Battery Materials functional teams (R&D, Business leadership, Supply Chain) to develop and execute process improvement initiatives.

·       Facilitate best practice sharing between the manufacturing teams. Identify and summarize operational best TPM practices of each department, formulate unified standards, and promote to full plant.

·       Introduce and reinforce new and updated procedures, processes technologies and methods. Collect and rate production methods looking for best practices to be shared globally. Lead the expansion of TPM and related Kaizen lean improvement activities, develop actionable improvement plans, and continuously elevate overall plant operational efficiency.

·       Ensures effective resolution of customer problems and quality issues. Coordinate cross-departmental resources to resolve daily operational bottlenecks and abnormalities in production, quality and delivery processes to guarantee smooth operation. Keep strong relationship with BM technical and business team.

·       Plan, manage and provide timely feedback to the business on a program of work focussed on the objective of delivering of battery material sales from the Zhuhai site. The program may consist of multiple workstreams from a diverse range of functions/groups (Quality, Maintenance, customer focussed, Capital projects, technical, logistics, business systems etc.)

·       Assure appropriate information is communicated across relevant functions.  Participate in and/or lead teams as required.

·       Complete other tasks/works assigned by FGM/Line Manager.

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Behaviors)

·       Knowledge of Cabot’s business/product strategies and objectives.  Knowledge of Cabot product properties, performance and related specifications. Statistical process control, QA/QC techniques, continuous improvement planning process, ISO theories and practices.

·       Knowledge of Continuous Improvement Planning process.

·       Knowledge of technology and systems supporting enterprise-wide processes, quality-specific data, change management, customer issues, and others.

·       Ability to work effectively in teams. Ability to manage multiple diverse projects / workstreams as part of a coordinated program to achieve a clear business objective. Raising issues to external PDL and Battery Materials cross-functional team (R&D, supply chain, business, etc.)

·       Ability to influence without authority. Effectively communicates across the organization and with multiple levels.  

·       Knowledge and ability to ensure compliance with global and local procedures (Product development & Management of Change)

·       Proven leadership skills; ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional partners, customers and external vendors to solve product quality issues. Ability to lead and motivate staff.

·       Experience identifying problem statements and structuring into a program with clear and measurable goals and milestones

·       Experience developing and maintaining a comprehensive project plan, scope, timelines, and budget

·       Experience executing and managing through obstacles and ambiguity

·       Stakeholder influence and Strategy: Experience establishing partnerships with stakeholders to define and drive aggressive timelines, roadmaps and direction

Education/Experience

·       Bachelors/University degree in Engineering preferably Chemical Engineering. 

·       Minimum 7 years of experience in chemical manufacturing, oil& gas or pharma industry

·       Experience in LEAN tools/processes; LEAN certification

·       IATF certification would be advantageous

At Cabot, we bring the power of innovative chemistry and a spirit of partnership with our customers to advance solutions that will enable a sustainable future. Our strength in research and development is a major reason why we have been an industry leader for more than 135 years in products such as reinforcing and specialty carbons, battery materials, aerogel, fumed metal oxides, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds.

Our employees around the world are united by our shared purpose: Creating materials that improve daily life and enable a more sustainable future. Through our corporate strategy, “Creating for Tomorrow,” we are focused on our core strengths to lead in performance and sustainability – today and into the future.