Continuous Improvement Leader

About the role

Excelitas Technologies is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to drive quality, productivity and cost‑reduction initiatives in its Boulder manufacturing site. The role focuses on Lean Manufacturing, 6S and structured problem‑solving to enhance operational performance.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Continuous Improvement program, identifying and prioritising projects that improve quality, efficiency and cost.
• Own the site’s 6S program, including standards, audits, scoring, corrective actions and cultural adoption.
• Develop and analyse operational metrics, dashboards, yield data and Cost of Poor Quality to spot trends and risks.
• Facilitate A3, PDCA, root‑cause analysis and Kaizen events to solve complex operational challenges.
• Manage the A3 project portfolio, track status, remove barriers and verify sustained results.
• Partner with cross‑functional leaders to embed a data‑driven continuous improvement culture.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Business or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years leading continuous improvement, Lean manufacturing or quality initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to use data analysis and performance dashboards to drive measurable business improvements.
• Experience influencing cross‑functional teams without direct authority and managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Required skills

• Lean Manufacturing, 6S, Kaizen, value‑stream mapping.
• Structured problem‑solving methodologies (A3, PDCA, 5 Why, Root Cause Analysis).
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt (preferred).
• Data‑visualisation tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Minitab.

What we offer

• Competitive salary range $120,000 – $135,000.
• Opportunity to work with cutting‑edge photonic technologies in a global leader.