Director, Continuous Improvement

About the Company

Novolex is a major producer of packaging solutions for food, beverage, and specialty applications. Its products serve a wide mix of industries such as foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery, retail, and industrial markets. The company works with a broad set of materials, including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum, and other substrates, and offers both standard and customized products across 120 product categories, 250 brands, and more than 39,000 SKUs.

The company’s sustainability approach is built around three priorities: its products, its operations, and its people. These pillars guide ongoing initiatives designed to support long-term growth and business goals.

Role Overview

The Director of Continuous Improvement will be responsible for helping the business unit achieve the highest possible level of efficiency across plants. This person will shape the CI strategy for the business unit and help transfer knowledge, connect teams, and scale best practices across manufacturing locations as Lean Management System capabilities continue to expand.

This role reports to the Vice President of Operations and works closely with the Vice President of Operational Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the business unit’s continuous improvement savings budget and ensure it remains realistic and tied to business value.
• Build plans, timelines, and budgets for tactical improvement projects, and complete cost-benefit reviews to understand the financial and operational impact of each initiative.
• Partner with business leaders to define short-, mid-, and long-range CI strategies that support the expected savings target.
• Serve as the go-to expert for core Operational Excellence modules, including helping train teams and supporting site-level adoption.
• Lead efforts that improve plant processes and systems, with programs designed to deliver durable, long-term gains.
• Track initiative performance and progress against goals, and act as a driver of change across the organization.
• Review current workflows regularly to ensure they continue to run at peak efficiency.
• Lead CI activities such as Kaizen events and initiatives involving 5S, SMED, TPM, VSM, PDCA, and A3 problem-solving methods.
• Promote Lean practices, including Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, Daily Management, Layered Audit Process, and Business Plan development, to reduce waste.
• Advise senior leaders on transformation topics such as organizational effectiveness, performance improvement, and change management where the business impact is significant.
• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate team members and associates at different levels of experience.
• Create and deliver Lean training across the organization while reinforcing Operational Excellence standards.
• Work with management, engineering, and other stakeholders to review manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and related factors that support process improvement.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a closely related area; packaging industry background is also acceptable.
• At least 10 years of combined experience in manufacturing, operations, and continuous improvement.
• Strong preference for experience with Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.
• Preferred background in automation and SAP.
• Solid project management capability, with the ability to handle multiple improvement efforts at the same time across varied stakeholder groups.
• Strong Microsoft Office proficiency, especially advanced Excel skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel 50% to 70% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits

The estimated salary range for this role is $160,000 to $210,000 per year, plus bonus and benefits. Final pay depends on job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training, and candidates are not typically hired at the top of the range.

Benefits include a 401(k) plan with company match, medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, paid sick time, paid parental leave, paid holidays, and a wellness program.

Additional Benefits and Programs

Employees also have access to wellness resources that support mental, physical, and financial well-being. Program availability may vary by work location.

Community Engagement

The company supports local communities through its Focused Giving Program, which backs organizations working on sustainability or food and hunger needs. Site-level community involvement is also encouraged.

Training and Development

Employees can access ongoing learning and growth opportunities through skills development, advanced education options, training courses, the MyLearning platform, company and industry curricula, a Learning Management System, and tuition reimbursement for eligible non-union employees.

Equal Opportunity

The company provides equal employment opportunity in hiring, promotion, transfer, compensation, and other employment practices. It does not discriminate based on age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, genetics, citizenship status, military or veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. Applicants needing a disability accommodation during the application process should contact the company’s HR support team.

Additional Note

This employer was formerly known as Pactiv Evergreen.