Regional Logistics Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement
Novolex · Romeoville, IL
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Base pay
- $130k–$160k
- Travel
- Includes overnights
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 7+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Packaging
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Novolex (packaging) in Romeoville, IL. Hands-on operational leader who enjoys being on the warehouse floor rather than an auditor or consultant.
- They ask for
- 7+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience) · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Kaizen, Root cause, SAP
- Base pay
- $130k–$160k
- Day to day
- overnight travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in Illinois: typical posted base $121k–$169k. This one lists $130k–$160k.
Median of the low and high ends of 15 live postings that list pay, out of 23 continuous improvement openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 22 other live lean / ci postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (7+ vs 10+)
Typical $120k–$165k, from 10 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 10+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 91%
- ✓ Six Sigma 74%
- ✓ Kaizen 65%
- ✓ Black Belt 52%
- ✓ Root cause 52%
- Value stream mapping 39%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Novolex
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from NovolexAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Required Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- ✓7+ years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Logistics, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Distribution, or Operational Excellence roles.
- ✓Minimum of 5 years supporting or leading improvement initiatives within high-volume warehouse, distribution center, fulfillment, or logistics operations.
- ✓Proven success leading cross-functional, multi-site improvement projects and operational transformations.
- ✓Strong experience facilitating Kaizen events and structured problem-solving activities.
- ✓Ability to influence, coach, and drive change without direct authority.
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Practitioner, or equivalent certification.
- ✓Multi-site logistics or distribution network experience.
- ✓Experience implementing Lean, Operational Excellence, or Continuous Improvement systems.
- ✓Strong project management, analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
- ✓Experience with SAP, Blue Yonder and Rebus is preferred.
- ✓Proficient in MS Office, Co-Pilot and Smartsheet.
Success in This Role
- ◆Hands-on operational leader who enjoys being on the warehouse floor rather than an auditor or consultant.
- ◆Practical problem solver with a strong bias for action and execution.
- ◆Credible coach and influencer who connects effectively with frontline teams and leadership.
- ◆Results-oriented professional who delivers measurable operational and financial improvements.
- ◆Passionate advocate for Continuous Improvement and operational excellence.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Company Overview
Why Choose Us?
Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.
Our Sustainability Commitment
The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.
Job Description
Position Overview
We are seeking a hands-on Regional Senior Manager of Continuous Improvement to drive operational excellence across multiple warehouse and distribution facilities.
This is not a traditional office-based Continuous Improvement role. The successful candidate will spend significant time in distribution centers working directly with frontline teams and site leadership to identify opportunities, solve operational challenges, and lead sustainable improvements.
The ideal candidate combines strong Continuous Improvement expertise with deep logistics and warehouse operations experience. This leader will help facilities improve safety, quality, service, productivity, inventory accuracy, and cost performance while building a culture of continuous improvement across the network.
Lead Operational Improvement
- •Drive Continuous Improvement initiatives across multiple warehouse and distribution facilities.
- •Lead Kaizen events, process improvement workshops, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving activities.
- •Identify and eliminate waste, process variation, and operational inefficiencies.
- •Deliver measurable improvements in safety, productivity, service, quality, inventory accuracy, and cost performance.
Partner with Operations Teams
- •Spend significant time on the shop floor working directly with site leadership and frontline teams.
- •Conduct Gemba walks and operational assessments to identify improvement opportunities.
- •Provide hands-on leadership and coaching throughout implementation and sustainment.
- •Build strong partnerships with operations leaders and support site performance objectives.
Drive Logistics Excellence
- •Improve warehouse throughput, labor utilization, storage utilization, inventory accuracy, and operational efficiency.
- •Optimize picking, put-away, dock operations, material flow, inventory management, slotting, labor utilization, case picking, and related warehouse processes.
- •Support process standardization, best-practice replication, Warehouse Management System utilization, and operational technology improvements.
Business Analytics & Continuous Improvement Strategy
- •Leverage operational and financial data to identify strategic improvement opportunities, quantify business impact, and prioritize regional Continuous Improvement initiatives.
- •Synthesize complex information from multiple sources into concise executive-level summaries, recommendations, and action plans.
- •Utilize data analytics, performance trends, and operational metrics to support decision-making, resource allocation, and project selection.
- •Transform data insights into actionable Continuous Improvement projects that drive sustainable improvements in safety, quality, service, productivity, inventory accuracy, and cost performance.
Build Capability & Culture
- •Coach leaders and teams on Lean principles, Continuous Improvement methodologies, and practical problem-solving.
- •Develop site champions who can lead and sustain improvements within their facilities.
- •Support implementation and ongoing utilization of the OPEX360 Operational Excellence System.
- •Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
What We're Looking For
Travel
- •Up to 50% travel within the assigned region, including potential overnight travel.
- •Frequent presence within warehouse and distribution