A well-established discrete manufacturing company in Cary, IL is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to drive Lean initiatives and build a culture of operational excellence across the plant. This is a highly visible role focused on improving safety, quality, delivery, and productivity through structured CI methodologies. This position is ideal for a hands-on leader who can work directly with production teams, develop frontline leaders, and implement sustainable process improvements. What You'll Do • Lead and execute Lean / Continuous Improvement initiatives across manufacturing operations • Partner with Production, Quality, and Materials to identify and eliminate waste, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies • Drive improvements in key metrics (safety, quality, on-time delivery, productivity, OEE) • Facilitate root cause analysis (RCA), problem-solving, and corrective actions • Implement and sustain Lean tools (5S, standard work, visual management, Kaizen, TPM, etc.) • Coach and develop supervisors and team leads on CI principles and daily execution • Support production teams on the floor to ensure adoption and sustainability of improvements • Help build structure, discipline, and operating rhythms within the plant What We're Looking For • Experience in Continuous Improvement, Manufacturing Engineering, or Production leadership • Strong background in discrete manufacturing (assembly, fabrication, machining, forming, etc.) • Hands-on Lean / CI experience with proven results (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, TPM, etc.) • Ability to work cross-functionally and influence at all levels of the organization • Comfortable being on the shop floor and driving change with production teams • Strong problem-solving and data-driven decision-making skills • Bachelor's degree preferred Why This Role • High visibility role with direct impact on plant performance • Opportunity to help shape CI culture in a growing organization • Path for career growth into broader operations leadership • Competitive compensation + bonus + full benefits package