Continuous Improvement Manager- South

Job Description

Job Description

About Daniels Health:

At Daniels Health, our mission is simple but powerful — to make healthcare safer and more sustainable. As a global leader in reusable healthcare waste management systems, Daniels is redefining how healthcare facilities handle medical waste through innovation, environmental responsibility, and operational excellence.

We don’t just manage waste — we protect people, reduce environmental impact, and help our partners achieve safer, cleaner, and more efficient operations. The Continuous Improvement Manager plays a key role in advancing that mission by embedding a culture of efficiency, safety, and performance improvement throughout our operational network.

Position Overview:

The Continuous Improvement Manager (CIM) will lead strategic and hands-on initiatives that drive efficiency, cost reduction, and process optimization across Daniels Health’s U.S. operations — including plants and transfer stations.

Based in Chicago, IL, this role partners closely with regional operations leadership, as well as local and national Maintenance and Engineering teams, to identify and execute practical, sustainable improvements that enhance operational performance.

The CIM focuses on the practical application of Lean, continuous improvement, and industrial engineering principles, delivering measurable results in productivity, safety, quality, and cost efficiency while fostering a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence:

· Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance across processing plants and transfer stations.

· Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and structured problem-solving methodologies to streamline processes, eliminate waste, and drive measurable cost savings.

· Conduct time studies, workflow analysis, and labor utilization reviews to identify bottlenecks, process constraints, and opportunities to rebalance work for improved throughput.

· Develop and standardize best practices that improve reliability, reduce variability, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

· Support and lead site-level and national continuous improvement initiatives aligned with Daniels Health’s operational goals.

Cost Reduction & Financial Impact

· Partner with regional and site leadership to identify cost-reduction opportunities in labor, materials, logistics, and maintenance.

· Drive initiatives that lower operational expenses through improved process efficiency, waste minimization, and resource optimization.

· Quantify and track the financial impact of all CI projects, providing regular reporting to leadership on savings achieved and ROI.

· Collaborate with finance and operations teams to integrate cost improvement metrics into site KPIs and performance dashboards.

Collaboration & Influence

· Work through regional operations leadership to prioritize and execute improvement initiatives that align with regional and national objectives.

· Influence and engage individuals at all organizational levels — from frontline team members to senior leaders — to participate in ideation, active problem-solving, prioritization, solution development, testing, and full-scale deployment.

· Serve as a trusted facilitator and coach, guiding teams through structured improvement processes and ensuring strong engagement and ownership of outcomes.

· Communicate progress, learnings, and successes across the organization to build awareness and sustain a continuous improvement mindset.

Hands-On Plant Floor Engagement

· Maintain a strong and visible presence on the plant floor, working directly with operations teams to identify and implement process improvements.

· Perform Gemba walks, time and motion studies, and process observations to validate performance data and identify opportunities to improve flow and balance workloads.

· Apply Lean tools such as 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, and Value Stream Mapping to drive daily improvements and embed continuous improvement behaviors across all levels.

Maintenance & Engineering Partnership

· Collaborate with local and national Maintenance and Engineering teams to improve equipment performance, reduce downtime, and enhance asset utilization.

· Support process design improvements, automation projects, and infrastructure optimization initiatives that reduce costs and increase throughput.

· Contribute to the development of preventative maintenance programs that improve reliability and operational efficiency.

Training & Capability Building

· Coach and train site teams on Lean principles, structured problem-solving, and root cause analysis methodologies (e.g., PDCA, DMAIC, DFSS, 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone).

· Promote a culture of experimentation and validation, encouraging teams to test and analyze improvement hypotheses before full-scale deployment.

· Facilitate hands-on workshops, Kaizen events, and A3 problem-solving sessions to strengthen analytical and practical skills.

· Develop internal CI champions and sustainment mechanisms to ensure long-term success of initiatives.

· Reinforce data-driven decision-making and evidence-based validation as standard practice for solution development and deployment.

Qualifications & Experience

Required:

· Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related field.

· Minimum of 5 years of experience in continuous improvement, process engineering, or operational excellence roles in manufacturing, logistics, or industrial environments.

· Proven experience applying structured problem-solving approaches such as PDCA, DMAIC, DFSS, or 8D within a manufacturing or distribution setting.

· Demonstrated success in implementing Lean or Six Sigma projects that delivered measurable cost savings.

· Experience conducting time studies, process analysis, and workflow optimization.

· Strong analytical, communication, and project management skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.

· Proven ability to lead change across multi-site or regional operations.

· Comfortable with hands-on work in plant and transfer station environments.

Preferred:

· Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

· Experience in healthcare, environmental services, or other regulated industries.

· Familiarity with ERP systems and analytics tools (e.g., SAP, Power BI, Tableau).

· Experience collaborating with engineering and maintenance teams on process optimization projects.

Key Attributes for Success:

· Passionate about Daniels Health’s mission of safety, sustainability, and innovation.

· Hands-on, collaborative leader who thrives in plant environments and drives accountability through engagement.

· Skilled influencer who can inspire participation, build trust, and align diverse teams around shared goals.

· Strong foundation in industrial engineering, Lean principles, and structured problem-solving.

· Bias for action — decisive, execution-focused, and able to move initiatives forward without “analysis paralysis.”

· Analytical, data-driven problem solver who balances technical rigor with practical implementation.

· Financially astute and focused on delivering measurable results.

· Adaptable and proactive in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

Why Join Daniels Health?

· Purpose-driven impact: Make a tangible difference in healthcare safety and sustainability.

· Growth opportunity: Play a pivotal role in shaping Daniels Health’s U.S. operational excellence strategy.

· Collaborative culture: Work with passionate, mission-aligned professionals.

· Visible results: Drive measurable cost savings, efficiency gains, and process improvements that directly impact business performance.

“The pay range for this position is $101,169 to $125,221 base salary. Actual compensation within this range will depend on factors unique to each candidate, such as prior experience, skill, certifications, and work location. Pay variations by location reflect local conditions and differences in the cost of labor.

At Daniels Health, we are committed to supporting our employees’ well-being, work-life balance, and career growth through a comprehensive benefit package. Eligible employees enjoy benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans with company match contributions, paid vacation and sick time, wellness resources, life insurance, and professional development opportunities.”

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.