Continuous Improvement Champion, Manufacturing Operations Tiger Team Member

With more than $1B in revenue, Tennant Company is a globally recognized leader in the cleaning equipment industry. For the past 150 years, we have been passionate about developing and manufacturing innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers. At Tennant Company, we are committed to stewardship and creating a cleaner, safer and healthier world. With manufacturing, operations and sales, service, and support functions across the globe, your journey at Tennant can take you places you never expected.

​As we continuously work to responsibly manage our business consistent with Tennant Company’s Strategy, we’re excited to move to the next phase of Project Delta and upgrade our organization / resources applied to the efforts.   Be part of something great!  We need a team of subject matter experts to lead this critical and rewarding work as a member of a Tiger Team. This team is to be a dedicated cross-functional team designed to implement high-value cost-out projects fast. You have been carefully selected to lead this work, as part of your consideration, please review the role description below.

In the role of Workstream Lead (GSS, Engineering, Ops, Product Management), you are the main representative of your functional area to the Tiger Team and are expected to demonstrate leadership in your functional area, as well as be a key team member to enable the fast execution of cost reduction projects.

The Workstream Lead will define and maintain process standards while driving ongoing optimization and improvement efforts. The ideal candidate will have experience working in a cross-functional team, often with ambiguous tasks and multiple projects of different scales running simultaneously.  Existing projects will be properly scoped, validated and executed.  New projects will be developed through ideation processes co-managed by the Tiger Team.  You will have both a direct line reporting structure to Business Function leadership for technical support of job functions, as well as a dotted line to the Project Delta leadership team. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Join with a small team that will function autonomously and collaborate throughout levels of the organization to manage cost-out projects from Ideation through Implementation 
• Maintain ownership for decision making within your discipline and collaborate with subject matter experts as needed while maintaining accountability for the project execution. 
• Develop and track project plans in accordance with Tennant standards for change management, record keeping and auditing best practices.
• Lead the governance of cost out activities within your function.  This includes ensuring TCMS is up to date, new ideation projects loaded and internal introductory training of coworkers involved with cost out projects.
• Accept ownership of both large team projects, while simultaneously managing smaller individual projects
• Define reporting requirements to support process (metrics, reporting tools, audits, etc.)
• Identify and deploy process improvements for cost out project management
• Provide coaching to others working on cost out projects, driving a sense of urgency while helping develop skills and decision making
• Collaborate with internal and external parties to unlock new cost-out opportunities (Ideation)
• Represent workstream for the reporting cadence of cost out projects (determined by size of project)
• An ability to think innovatively and creatively, strong communication and change management skills and a team player who can work effectively with all levels of the organization

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's Degree required (Engineering preferred) with minimum 5 years of experience or equivalent
• Demonstrated skills as a SME within your discipline (Engineering, Supply Chain, etc.)
• Proven track record of root cause identification, experience in the elimination of waste in products, processes and services, and able to drive corrective actions and process improvements.
• Proficient financial acumen; the ability to understand project costs, benefits and ROI to validate complex cost-out projects.
• Self-starting, independent worker that can also collaborate within a large organization and manage multiple ambiguous tasks.
• Demonstrated success at change management and ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Ability to influence peers, up, and down the organization
• Proven record of strong judgement, decision making and change management
• Demonstrate an understanding of project planning in a global, matrixed organization
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Office, Excel, Power BI and others

EXPERIENCE PREFERRED:

• Demonstrated experience leading improvement projects and being part of change management activities 
• 5+ year’s experience working in a global organization with projects and/or supply chains that have multi-site engagement.
• PMP certification, or Project Management experience
• Demonstrated Continuous Improvement / Lean / Six Sigma experience
• APICS Certifications, or equivalent
• Master of Business Administration

REQUIRED LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

• Communicates Effectively
• Takes steps to ensure effective communication between individuals and teams.
• Swiftly removes barriers to communication and ensures strong dialogue between individuals and teams.
• Encourages people to speak freely and shows sufficient openness to differing viewpoints within and beyond the team.
• Courage
• Identifies and recommends solutions to address tough organizational issues and disagreements without delay and works to resolve them with the appropriate degree of urgency.
• Is able to push back and say “no” to others when necessary
• Guides others on how to stand up for their beliefs in the face of adversity.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness
• Has strong self-awareness, wisely asserts strengths and is committed to overcoming or compensating for key weaknesses.
• Thinks carefully about how personal behavior and style affect others; takes ownership for making a positive impact and makes adjustments when needed.
• Solicits constructive feedback from others and applies what is learned.
• Develops Talent
• Takes advantage of some opportunities to provide coaching to team members and beyond the team.
• Recommends and may facilitate development activities and assignments that make substantial contributions to people’s growth.
• Directs Work
• Takes steps to ensure that the team’s work is coordinated and integrated; finds ways to reduce duplication of effort.
• Proactively identifies and removes obstacles that may hinder progress of a project, both on and beyond the team.
• Ensures Accountability
• Keeps track of expectations and accountabilities using appropriate metrics and milestones.
• Consistently accepts responsibility for the successes and failures of own work and the team’s work.

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience: $92,000 - 137,900

Posted salary ranges are made in good faith. Tennant Co. reserves the right to adjust ranges depending on the experience/qualifications of the selected candidate as well as internal and external equity. Total Compensation = Base Salary + Benefits

Benefits = A comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, 401(k), disability, life insurance, paid time off, and voluntary benefits!

Begin your journey with us. Let's reinvent how the world cleans. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tennant Company is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made on the basis of individual skill, ability, reliability, productivity, and other factors important to performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or any other basis protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.