Continuous Improvement & Digital Lead

Job posting closing date: 23rd July, end of day

As a person, you’re a learner – a natural leader – someone who is always taking initiative to make things better and bring others along with you. You live your life in alignment with the highest values of integrity and quality, always ensuring your responsibilities become a long-term success story. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU. 

The Continues Improvement and Digital Lead leads the Lean & CT Initiatives within the Plant and is accountable for enabling behavioural change which will sustain continuous improvement programmes across the Plant end-to-end value stream and cost optimization. Providing technical expertise, guidance, coaching and digital support to the Plant teams, while ensuring that the assets are operated to world class standards in the areas of safety, quality and cost. The CI & Digital Lead is an active and integral member of the Senior Operations Leadership Team (SOLT), providing input on strategic and tactical plans for the Plant, while maintaining, updating, coaching on and developing digital platforms for the plant.

In this role, you will:

• Cost, Quality, Safety

• Proactively explore strategic and tactical opportunities for the site regardless of function and engage the Regional Multi-Functional Teams, and Senior Operations Leadership Team as appropriate

• Data Analysis

• Initiate and participate in strategic discussions. Represents Operations in strategic initiatives, providing the necessary input and analytics around business intelligence.

• Use data to enable the Plant to achieve performance targets in accordance with P2030 and Manufacturing best practice.

• Formulate, develop and drive strategic opportunities within the Plant Operations supported by digital analysis and dashboards to deliver improved costs and efficiencies.

• Build and maintain data platforms and tools to support Value stream and CI

• Digital Architecture

• Requires an understanding of Environmental, legal and K-C statutory requirements.

• Ensure the integrity of the digital systems by protecting confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and adherence to all K-C Cybersecurity protocols.

• Ensure assets are maintained in a “Safe to operate” condition at all times while promoting all aspects of safe working practices to meet all safety and housekeeping objectives of the Plant.

• Cost

• Develop and implement best practice management, encompassing LEAN methodology in the areas of Capital and Expensed Projects.

• Lead the “External cost savings” Pillar within cost transformation at the Plant. Consult with local and regional LCM teams to pull through cost saving at the earliest opportunity.

• Deep dive and identify opportunities from total wase to overhead expenses

• Key Link between Packaging Technologist and LCM to ensure packaging and LCM objectives and cost transformation savings are achieved.

• Lean Project Management

• Build a collaborative partnership with the EMEA CI team to support the implementation of regional Lean initiatives.

• Drive lean practices in project management across the entire facility, by driving behavioural change that embraces Lean principles.

• Build LEAN capability problem solving through a strong LEAN Six Sigma belting certification roadmap for the Plant.

• Function as Gate Keeper for lean maturity and improvement initiatives as well as planning

• Continuous Improvement

• Provide technical and operational expertise to achieve quick and timely solutions to SMOM-related problems within all site Team areas.

• Provide support for digital requests and troubleshoot issues impacting system functionality or integrity of the system leading updates and upgrades.

• Ensure the success of SMOM by providing technical expertise and effective facilitation of the process and systems.

• Drive the integrated OPEX deployment at the Plant

• Ensure P2030 Best practice gap closure and improvement in % conformance

About Us

Huggies®. Kleenex®. Baby Soft®. Kotex®. Kimberly-Clark Professional®. You already know our legendary brands—and so does the rest of the world. In fact, millions of people use Kimberly-Clark products every day. We know these amazing Kimberly-Clark products wouldn’t exist without talented professionals, like you.

At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll be part of the best team committed to driving innovation, growth and impact. We’re founded on more than 150 years of market leadership, and we’re always looking for new and better ways to perform – so there’s your open door of opportunity. It’s all here for you at Kimberly-Clark.

Led by Purpose. Driven by You

About You

You perform at the highest level possible, and you appreciate a performance culture fueled by authentic caring.  You want to be part of a company actively dedicated to sustainability, inclusion, wellbeing, and career development.
You love what you do, especially when the work you do makes a difference. At Kimberly-Clark, we’re constantly exploring new ideas on how, when, and where we can best achieve results.

In this manufacturing role, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following:

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Degree in Engineering with preference to Electrical

• 5 years’ experience in a management position, leading either Operations, R&E, Technical or Projects Teams

• Minimum of 3-5 years previous electronic experience in the FMCG environment would be advantageous.

• 3-5 years’ experience in the following areas:

• Working experience of Operations Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) and experience in integrating systems and networks

• Implementation of a change management interventions.

• Ability to influence at all levels to drive continuous improvement across the facility.

• Practical understanding and be able to complete value stream analysis and value engineering.

• Ability to work with multi-dimensional and functional teams within the facility and across the region.

• Excellent knowledge in Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing Tools.

• Excellent business acumen, change management skills, and leadership skills. 

• Project management skills.

• Formal LSS Belting Certification

• Lean Six Sigma problem solving (Black belt).

To Be Considered

Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website.

And finally, the fine print….

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to developing a diverse workforce. Preference will be given to candidates who promote representation within Kimberly-Clark in terms of the Employment Equity Act.

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world.  We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers.  When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Employment is subject to relevant background checks carried out in South Africa.

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