Continuous Improvement Project Lead

Company Overview

Grounded by a history that is deeply rooted in innovation, Hexion is a global employer committed to building and protecting the future by producing innovative performance materials. Our materials are the building blocks for critical industries, including construction, agriculture, energy, automotive, and infrastructure protection. Everywhere you look, you will find our materials and people at work to help customers make products that are stronger, safer, and cleaner. When you work for Hexion, you’ll join a team that is committed to operating safely and with integrity to build a more sustainable future for all, our associates, our customers, and the communities where we live and work. 

Position Overview

Please note that this is an on-site position. 

• Lead and mentor DMAIC, Lean and Productivity Savings projects;
• Translate objectives into prioritized & actionable plans at a work-stream level and utilizes good project management, tracking and reporting skills;
• Identify projects/improvement opportunities;
• Be flexible to travel between several sites to execute the Continual Improvement Project Lead assigned activities;
• Provide specific support to sites and departments where there is a gap in capacity or capabilities.
• Based in one Site, be able to support several sites in a region.
• Key relationships: Site Managers, Management Team Members, CI Team Members (i.e. CI-Manager, CI-Project Leads) and team members in work-streams. 

What is exciting about this role? 

• Strategically positioned to have a significant impact on the trajectory and success of Hexion’s transformation over the coming years;
• Opportunity to collaborate with teams and functions across the company, working to improve efficiency and eliminate chronic barriers;
• Uniquely situated to help people solve problems and improve their day-to-day work;
• Part of a small team of highly skilled and motivated associates dedicated to leveraging their skills and expertise to drive real business results;
• Opportunity to develop skills and experience in all facets of the Hexion enterprise;

Job Responsibilities

• Accountable for the execution of CI program initiatives within the improvement work-streams, and therefore in turn support the Site, CI Manager and local teams;
• Responsible for the execution of Productivity, Process and Performance improvement projects from Idea Generation, to Project Execution and Closure; lead projects him/herself (based on resource availability and complexity);
• Responsible for the use of Project planning and execution techniques such as Scrum, Toll gate reviews, Stage Gate reviews etc. within the context of the local Management Control and Reporting system and benefit process tracking and project tracking systems;
• Mentoring, Training and coaching of improvement techniques;
• Understand when to apply PDCA (Plan; Do; Check; Act) as an everyday continuous improvement approach, Lean tools such as Kaizen events or Value Stream Mapping and in depth, data driven Six Sigma/DMAIC projects;
• Ensure resolution of problems within the team environment utilizing the complete CI toolset. Has a strong focus on quality of approach being taken to ensure effectiveness and efficiency;
• Facilitate workshops to drive quality in the end products to customers and driving quality in the raw materials to manufacturing.  Working with SC and Manufacturing organization.

Competencies

Future Focused

• Entrepreneurial – Uses skills and takes initiative necessary to anticipate needs and opportunities to bring improvements to realization. Examples would include recognizing an improvement at one site and translating that improvement across multiple sites; or seeking improvement opportunities outside Hexion that could be leveraged within Hexion.
• Future Based Thinker – Considers the “art of the possible”, does not let past or current way of doing things get in the way of evaluating new ideas.  Examples would include realigning work practices or innovative technologies that would improve efficiencies.

Trust and Teamwork

• Aligns – Works to ensure team and stakeholders stay “on the same page” and that they are moving in the same direction. Examples would be ensuring robust Charters are developed for projects to agree on scope, or routine review meetings to ensure progress on improvements are meeting expectations.
• Listens First – Seeks to understand other people’s opinions and thoughts, meets others with curiosity instead of first working to convince other’s of own ideas. Examples would be asking questions to understand the organizational needs related to an initiative, or understanding customer’s concerns about how an improvement project will impact them.
• Boundaryless Behavior – Ensures current structure or hierarchies do not become a barrier to making improvements, is willing to work outside traditional boundaries. Examples would include taking on a responsibility within a team that you would not normally be assigned, or being willing to learn a new skill to accomplish a task required. 

Transformational leadership

• Lives a Safety Mindset – Internalizes safety in every aspect of work and interactions with others. Examples would be consideration of how an improvement may create a hazard, or potentially remove a hazard; or how a discussion with someone may cause them to work more, or less, safely.
• Works with Velocity – Works with a sense of urgency to ensure progress towards improvement, does not let “perfection get in the way of better”.  Examples would include seeking input on an improvement from key individuals, but not requiring that all individuals impacted must be consulted before initiating that improvement; or, depending on the significance of the change, requiring a proportional amount of evaluation before moving to action. 

Achieves business results

• Executes – Understands steps required and focuses on effective implementation of improvements to ensure full realization of benefits. Examples would be meeting deadlines on a project; or identifying and removing barriers to progress.
• Demonstrates Agility – Adjusts direction of work or an improvement project as new information is discovered, or adjusted feedback is received from stakeholders.  Examples would be include discovering technical data that would not support a process change; or commercial information that may not support investment in new capabilities.
• Accountable – Takes responsibility and meets commitments for actions and decisions of own work or of team’s work. Examples would include ensuring action items are completed on time and in full; or ensuring transparency of actions and decisions to team and/or stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7-10 years industry / Manufacturing experience minimum
• Existing chemical manufacturing based experience is preferred
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification with experience in applying the Six Sigma toolset required
• Strong knowledge and experience applying Lean principles including Kaizen and Value Stream Mapping
• Root Cause Failure Analysis 
• Basic Quality Tools – Problem Solving
• Project management
• Scrum experience preferred
• Change management mindset
• Process Improvement methods
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively influence others to action. In other words, good consulting / coaching skills
• Good written and verbal communication abilities
• Presentation skills such as those used in conducting stand-up training programs.
• Technical degree in engineering or chemistry preferred
• Ability to effectively work and lead local natural work teams.
• Strong Computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Minitab, etc.)
• Base set language and numeracy skills
• English language skills required as well as ideally the language of the supported site 
• Frequent traveling will be required (up to 50%)

Other

We are an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, minority status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any characteristic protected by law.

In order to be considered for this position candidates are required to submit an application for employment through our career site, be at least 18 years of age, willing to take a drug test , submit to a background investigation as part of the selection process, as well as additional periodic background checks as required by the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) or regulations adopted by the Department of Homeland Security or other regulatory agencies

Candidates are required to have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

If currently an employee of the Company, you must have current satisfactory work performance and in most cases, have been in your current role 18 months.

Disclaimer: We are not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms/employment agencies for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee about this position. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee of the Company via email, the Internet or in any other form and/or method without a valid written search firm agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of the Company; no fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by the Company as a result of the unsolicited referral or through other means.