Continuous Improvement Manager L2

WELCOME HOME! CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MANAGER

Cascades Schenectady NY Manufacturing Facility

Cascades is seeking a collaborative results-drivenContinuous Improvement Manager to lead and embed a culture of operational excellence at our Schenectady NY packaging manufacturing facility. This role partners closely with Operations Maintenance Engineering Safety and Supply Chain to identify prioritize and execute continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety quality service and cost performance in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This is a full-time salaried leadership role.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Career pathwaysthat support your goals in a collaborative values driven environment where your work directly supports customer success.
• Excellent Benefits Package:Health Plan Options Life Insurance Paid Time Off
• Financial Benefits: Retirement Savings Plan Profit Sharing Stock Purchase Plan
• Wellness Benefits: Employee Assistance Plan Lifestyle Flex Benefit
• Salary Range: $98000 $115000 Profit Sharing
• Salary is based on experience and qualifications that alignment with requirements

At Cascadessustainable development means respecting the true nature of our 9000 talented employees. Bring out the best in yourself every day!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Continuous Improvement Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of site-level continuous improvement strategy aligned with Cascades operational excellence framework.
• Champion Lean manufacturing principles including problem-solving methodologies (A3 root cause analysis Kaizen Value Stream Mapping).
• Facilitate Kaizen events and improvement workshops to drive measurable gains in safety productivity quality service and cost.
• Partner with site leadership to prioritize CI initiatives based on business impact and operational needs.

Operational Excellence & Performance Improvement

• Analyze operational performance data to identify trends losses constraints and improvement opportunities.
• Drive standard work development process stability and waste elimination across manufacturing warehousing and support functions.
• Support capacity optimization asset utilization improvements and cost reduction initiatives.
• Establish track and report KPIs to measure CI progress and sustain results.

Change Management & Capability Building

• Coach and mentor leaders and frontline teams on continuous improvement tools behaviors and mindset.
• Build internal CI capability through training effective facilitation and hands-on project support.
• Encourage employee engagement by creating opportunities for team members to contribute ideas and lead improvements.
• Support change management efforts to ensure improvements are adopted sustained and standardized.

Safety Quality & Compliance

• Integrate safety-first thinking into all continuous improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Safety and Quality teams to eliminate risks reduce defects and improve process reliability.
• Ensure CI activities align with OSHA requirements environmental standards and Cascades policies.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Engineering Operations Management Industrial Systems Business or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 5 years of continuous improvement or operational excellence experience in a manufacturing environment (packaging paper or converting preferred).
• LEAN Certification highly desirable - Proven experience leading Lean initiatives and cross-functional improvement projects.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing and CI methodologies (Kaizen A3 5 Why DMAIC Value Stream Mapping).
• Ability to analyze and interpret operational data to support fact-based decision-making.
• Experience working within ERP and manufacturing systems (SAP preferred).
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 including strong Excel and data presentation skills.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Influential leader with the ability to engage and partner across all levels of the organization.
• Strong facilitation coaching and change management skills.
• Results-oriented mindset with a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution.
• Clear confident communicator with the ability to translate complex concepts into practical actions.

ABOUT CASCADES

Cascades believes in the success of an inclusive organization that values diversity within its team. All qualified candidates will be considered for this position in a fair manner.

To be part of Cascades is to reveal the full potential of materials people and ideas. We are a source of possibilities! Since 1964 Cascades has been providing sustainable innovative and value-creating solutions in packaging hygiene and recovery. Join 9000 talents working across nearly 60 operating units throughout North America.