Global ISC Continuous Improvement Manager, Supply Chain

Tenneco · Northville, MI

Level: Manager
Team: Lean / CI
Travel: 65%
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 5+ years
Industry: Automotive
Posted: 21 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A management continuous improvement role at Tenneco (automotive) in Northville, MI. Identify, prioritize, and lead high-impact projects in inventory reduction, lead-time compression, freight cost, service level, and working capital.

They ask for: 5+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, Value stream mapping, Kanban
Day to day: about 65% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

How this role compares

Against 18 other live lean / ci postings in Michigan.

Base pay: Not listed in this posting
Experience asked: Typical (5+ years)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Lean 89%
✓ Kaizen 58%
✓ Six Sigma 42%
✓ Root cause 42%
✓ Value stream mapping 37%
✓ SAP 26%

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

It asks for 5+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone on the team 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
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Tenneco
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 says about 65% travel. Between which sites?
- 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.

This plant: Tenneco in Northville

2 other open roles at this site.

Operational Excellence Specialist · Lean / CI · Specialist
Business Excellence Manager · Lean / CI · Manager

Full description from TennecoAs posted on their careers site.Show

About the role

You will join Tenneco’s Global Operational Excellence team as it deploys P3, Tenneco’s operating system, across 200+ plants in 28 countries. You will lead supply chain improvement in the plants, run Kaizens and capability workshops, and deliver measurable results in inventory, working capital, freight cost, and customer service. You will be a key relationship, working across and between functions, driving measurable projects that deliver value to the organization.

We built this role for a high-potential manufacturing and supply chain professional who is ready to accelerate. You will work alongside senior supply chain leaders who will coach you directly and invest in your growth. In return, we expect you to own your work: take the strategy, build the plan, and drive results without day-to-day management. If you like being micro-managed, this is not the job for you.

Required

✓Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Industrial Engineering, ERP, or a specialized supply chain function
✓5+ years in a manufacturing environment, in roles such as plant supply chain, materials, production planning, industrial engineering, or similar. You have worked on the shop floor and understand how material and information flow through a plant.
✓Working knowledge of end-to-end supply chain: demand and supply planning, S&OP/S&OE, MRP/ERP, inventory management, warehousing, and logistics.
✓A track record of leading improvement projects to measurable results, such as inventory reduction, freight savings, or service improvement. You can show the numbers.
✓Hands-on Lean and structured problem-solving: root cause analysis, VSM, PFEP, pull systems, and 5S.
✓Strong analytical skills. Comfortable working with data, Excel, and KPIs.
✓Clear, direct communication. Able to train, facilitate, and influence people more senior than you.

Who you are

✓Hungry: You want to grow fast, and you are willing to do the work to earn it. You want to be ready for a regional leadership role within the company and are open to relocating nationally or globally if you meet the role's expectations.
✓Coachable: You want to work with people who know more than you, and you act on their feedback right away.
✓Independent: Give you the direction, and you run with it. You do not need to be told what to do next. You aren’t afraid to make mistakes and learn quickly when you do.
✓Trustworthy: You do what you say. Leaders and plants can rely on your word and your data.
✓An owner: You

Show full description ↓

At Tenneco, we don’t follow industry standards; we set them, and we don’t settle for being best-in-class because we hustle to be better than best-in-class. Whether it’s our Core Values – radical candor, simplify, organizational velocity, tenacious execution and win – or our Get Stuff Done (GSD) mindset, we’re determined to become the most trusted partner and best manufacturer and distributor to the transportation industry.

With a product portfolio as expansive as it is innovative, an obsessive commitment to quality and excellence, and a global presence, we’re all about getting stuff done, so we can win.

How do we make it happen? Through the Tenneco Way. Fueled by our Core Values, a winning mindset and a relentless commitment to excellence, the Tenneco Way is how we win. It’s what keeps Team Tenneco bold, driven, and unapologetically focused on pushing past limits and redefining success.

Here, you’ll work alongside a team of relentless problem-solvers who are committed to making a tangible impact. If you’re ready to break boundaries, deliver results, and enjoy the ride along the way, you’ll thrive here.

Want to learn more about who we are? Check out our website to discover the Tenneco Way

Drive the Strategy

•Turn the Global Supply Chain strategy into plant-level execution of the P3 Supply Chain standard, working with Plant Managers, Operations Directors, Supply Chain Managers, and regional teams.
•Identify, prioritize, and lead high-impact projects in inventory reduction, lead-time compression, freight cost, service level, and working capital.
•Run multiple projects across sites at the same time. Own the scope, timeline, KPIs, and results.
•Challenge the status quo. Simplify complex global supply chains into methods that plants can actually execute.

Lead on the Floor

•Plan and facilitate Kaizen events and capability-building workshops in demand planning, supply planning, inventory integrity, material handling, and transportation/logistics.
•Deploy Lean supply chain tools: PFEP, kanban/pull systems, buffer sizing, excess & obsolete reviews, VSM, daily management, tiered meetings, layered process audits, and Gemba walks in receiving, warehouse, and shipping.
•Coach plant teams to P3 Supply Chain certification and take part in P3 assessments and calibration sessions.
•Become a certified P3 Supply Chain Trainer and Assessor.

Build People and Capability

•Assess training needs, deliver training, and build competency paths for plant supply chain teams aligned to the P3 maturity roadmap.
•Find best practices in one plant and deploy them globally.
•Partner with Supply Chain Managers to develop, coach, and evaluate plant supply chain talent.

Work Across the Business

•Partner with Manufacturing, Procurement, Sales, Finance, Transportation, Human Resources, and Talent Management.
•Shape specifications for new facilities, equipment, and systems (warehouse layout, MRP/ERP design, data integrity) so they meet Lean and P3 standards.
•Model safety first and the Tenneco Core Values in every plant you work in.

Preferred

+Master’s degree, APICS/ASCM certification (CPIM or CSCP), or a Lean or Six Sigma belt.
+Multi-site or global experience, ideally in automotive or industrial manufacturing.
+Experience with a major ERP system (SAP, PLEX, QAD).