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Sr. Continuous Improvement Manager

SPX Technologies · Olathe, KS

Apply on SPX Technologies ↗
Level
Manager
Team
Lean / CI
Travel
30%
Degree
Required
Experience asked
7+ years
Certification
Black Belt preferred
Industry
Industrial
Posted
22 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A management continuous improvement role at SPX Technologies (industrial) in Olathe, KS. As part of HVAC Cooling, SPX Cooling Technologies is a leader in high quality industrial HVAC equipment used to cool large facilities like hospitals, data centers, and power plants.

They ask for
7+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
Tools it names
Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Kaizen, 5S, Value stream mapping
Day to day
about 30% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $105k–$150k.

Median of the low and high ends of 129 live postings that list pay, out of 329 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Kansas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 328 other live lean / ci postings in the US.

Base pay
Not listed in this posting

Typical $102k–$145k, from 117 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
More than usual (7+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Lean 85%
  • ✓ Six Sigma 55%
  • ✓ Kaizen 52%
  • ✓ Value stream mapping 50%
  • ✓ Root cause 45%
  • ✓ 5S 33%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for SAP, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 7+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

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. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at SPX Technologies

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 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. 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 says about 30% travel. Between which sites?
    • The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
  4. 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. 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.

This plant: SPX Technologies in Olathe

6 other open roles at this site.

Full description from SPX TechnologiesAs posted on their careers site.Show

How you will make an Impact (Job Summary)

SPX is a diverse t eam of unique individuals who all make an impact. As The Lean & Continuous Improvement Leader is responsible for developing, deploying, and sustaining the Lean operating system across the Cooling business. This leader will partner with operations and functional leadership to build the capabilities, processes, and problem-solving culture required to safely support growth while improving quality, delivery, productivity, cost, inventory, and customer experience.

This role requires a highly visible, hands-on Lean leader who is equally comfortable on the manufacturing floor coaching frontline teams and working with senior leaders to establish strategy and priorities. The successful candidate will go beyond leading individual improvement projects and will build sustainable Lean capability throughout the organization.

A primary objective of the role is to push problem solving and continuous improvement deeper into the organization by developing leaders and employees who can identify waste, understand root causes, implement countermeasures, and sustain improvements without dependence on the Continuous Improvement function.

The leader will establish and reinforce mastery of Lean fundamentals including daily management, leader standard work, visual management, standard work, 5S, value stream mapping, flow, pull, Kaizen, structured problem solving, and waste elimination. The role will also help the organization use Lean principles to unlock capacity and support growth while minimizing unnecessary increases in cost, inventory, complexity, and capital.

What you can expect in this role (Job Responsibilities)

While each day brings new opportunities at SPX, your core

Required Experience & Skills

  • ✓Bachelor's degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Business, Engineering or related technical discipline.
  • ✓7+ years of progressive experience in Lean/CI, change management, operational excellence, or manufacturing leadership.
  • ✓Demonstrated experience implementing Lean in a manufacturing environment.
  • ✓Experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives.
  • ✓Proven track record delivering measurable improvements in productivity, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, lead time, and/or capacity.
  • ✓Strong communication, facilitation, and change-management skills.

Ideal Experience & Skills

  • ✓Experience leading Lean transformation across multiple manufacturing facilities.
  • ✓Experience in engineered-to-order, configure-to-order, mixed-model, or high-mix manufacturing environments.
  • ✓Manufacturing leadership experience with direct accountability for operational results.
  • ✓Experience supporting rapidly growing manufacturing operations.
  • ✓Industrial Engineering background.
  • ✓Lean certification, Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification
  • ✓Experience with SAP or similar ERP/manufacturing systems.
Show full description ↓

Building the people that build the world.

With platforms in HVAC and Detection and Measurement, SPX Technologies builds innovative solutions that enable a safer, more efficient, sustainable world. Through our RiSE talent development framework, we Reach, Identify, Strengthen, and Engage our employees to support them in their continued development. We’re a global company of problem solvers, collaborators, and innovators, and our businesses build solutions that impact the world.

As part of HVAC Cooling, SPX Cooling Technologies is a leader in high quality industrial HVAC equipment used to cool large facilities like hospitals, data centers, and power plants. With cooling towers, fans, and refrigeration units, companies rely on brands like Marley, Recold, and SGS to provide comfort and mission critical and industrial cooling solutions.

will be

  • •Develop and execute the Lean / CI strategy aligned with business growth and operational priorities.
  • •Partner with site and functional leaders to identify the largest opportunities affecting safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, inventory, and capacity.
  • •Establish and mature a common Lean operating system across manufacturing locations.
  • •Establish common problem-solving methodologies utilizing PDCA, A3 thinking, root-cause analysis, 5-Why, Pareto analysis, fishbone analysis, and other appropriate methods.
  • •Lead improvements in factory layout, product flow, line balancing, bottleneck identification and mitigation, labor utilization, material presentation, and production routing.
  • •Establish a disciplined Kaizen process focused on the highest-value operational opportunities.
  • •Lead and coach cross-functional teams through improvement events and longer-term transformation initiatives.
  • •Implement follow-up mechanisms to verify that improvements are sustained.
  • •Serve as a teacher, coach, and role model for ops leadership throughout the organization.
  • •Develop site leaders, supervisors, functional leaders, and frontline employees in Lean thinking, CI mindset, and structured problem solving.
  • •Coach leaders in effective Gemba walks, visual management, leader standard work, daily management, 5S, and employee engagement.

What we are looking for (Required/Ideal Experience, Skills, Education)

We each bring something to the table, and we are looking for someone who has:

Travel & Working Environment

  • •Office environment with varying degrees of noise levels
  • •This role will need to function in the manufacturing plant and office
  • •Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 30%

How we live our culture

Our culture is at the center of what we do and, more importantly, who we are. Our core values set a standard for how we manage ourselves, and our Leadership Model sets the standard for how we engage with each other. Whether you are an individual contributor or you lead a large team, each of us leads at SPX.

What benefits do we

More Lean / CI roles nearby