Job Information
Novolex Manager, Continuous Improvement in Franklin Park, Illinois
Company Overview
Why Choose Us?
Novolex is a leading manufacturer of food, beverage, and specialty packaging that supports multiple industries including foodservice, restaurant delivery and carryout, food processing, grocery and retail, and industrial sectors. Novolex manufacturing and sourcing expertise spans a diverse range of substrates including resin, paper, molded fiber, aluminum and more. We provide customers a broad array of stock and customized solutions with 120 product categories, 250 brands and over 39,000 SKUs.
Our Sustainability Commitment
The Novolex sustainability vision is built upon three pillars: our products, our operations and our people. Each is critically important to our growth and future as a business. These pillars form the foundation of our company-wide commitment to sustainability, helping us achieve our ambitious goals through our wide-ranging initiatives.
Job Description
Position Summary:
The Continuous Improvement Engineer at the Franklin Park Novolex facility is a hands-on change agent responsible for driving cultural, operational, and analytical excellence on the shop floor. This role is designed for someone with high energy, a proactive mindset, and a strong passion for being physically present in the operation.
The CI Engineer will spend the majority of their time on the floor—coaching operators, partnering with supervisors and managers, and identifying improvement opportunities in real time. They will execute Lean tools, lead kaizen events, improve SQDCPP performance, and elevate the plant’s daily discipline by leading through example.
A reasonable estimate of the current range is $102,800-171,300 + bonus + benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. At Novolex, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.
The benefits for this role include 401(k) plan with company match, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, paid vacation, and sick days, paid parental leave, paid holidays and wellness program.
Reporting Relationship:
Primary report to the Plant Manager with a strong dotted-line partnership to the Regional Continuous Improvement Manager .
Key Responsibilities:
- Hands-On Lean Implementation (High Emphasis)
Spend significant time on the production floor engaging operators and identifying improvement opportunities at the source.
Lead daily Gemba walks with plant leadership to assess SQDCP performance and drive immediate countermeasures.
Model Lean behaviors and drive cultural adoption through presence, enthusiasm, and hands-on coaching.
Facilitate full kaizen events focused on SMED, waste elimination, material flow, centerlining, and reliability. Regional CI Manager to assist if necessary.
Reinforce and sustain 5S, Standard Work, Problem Solving, Leader Standard Work and Daily Management routines.
- SQDCP Performance Improvement
Partner closely with supervisors, managers, Plant Manager, and Regional CI Manager to drive improvements across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity.
Support implementation and follow-up on daily SQDCP boards, short-interval control, and frontline accountability routines.
Identify top SQDCP gaps and convert them into structured CI projects using PDCA, A3s, and root cause analysis.
- Culture Building & Leadership by Example
Serve as a visible CI leader on the floor , demonstrating ownership, intensity, urgency, and high standards.
Coach operators and leads on problem solving, waste identification, and process discipline.
Help build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement across all shifts.
- Data & Analysis
Support downtime analysis, scrap trending, production variance analysis, and bottleneck identification .
Pull and validate SAP and internal Manufacturing system data; assist with building and maintaining Power BI dashboards (preferred).
Track all CI actions, verify savings, and maintain accurate documentation on project progress.
Convert operational problems into data-driven insights and clear recommendation paths in partnership with Regional CI Manager.
- Partnership & Cross-Functional Leadership
Work side-by-side with the Plant Manager and Regional CI Manager to ensure alignment on top priorities.
Collaborate with technical, maintenance, warehouse, scheduling, HR and quality teams to resolve operational issues.
Support new initiatives, pilot technologies, and changes related to the Novolex Production System.
- Special Projects & Cross-Plant Exposure
Support select improvement initiatives that provide visibility across the Operating Unit and Business Unit , contributing analysis, Lean tools, or hands-on support where broader impact is needed.
Participate periodically in cross-plant kaizens and best-practice sharing , helping transfer learnings and demonstrate Franklin Park’s leadership in Continuous Improvement.
Engage in special CI projects that offer opportunities to influence system-wide improvements, expand technical expertise, and build relationships with leaders beyond the home site.
Required
Very strong analytics 5+ years of experience in manufacturing with 2+ including administrative tasks.
High comfort being on the floor 70%+ of the time; must love Gemba.
Strong analytical skills with proven Excel capability.
Practical understanding of Lean tools: 5S, PDCA, SMED, Standard Work, A3, problem solving.
Strong communication and coaching ability with hourly and salaried teams.
Preferred
Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, Operations, Industrial or related.
SAP experience (production data, scrap, downtime).
Power BI (viewing; building preferred).
Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent training.
Experience supporting kaizen events in a fast-paced environment.
Exposure to TPM, centerlines, and manufacturing reliability tools.
Key Competencies
High Energy & Proactivity – Acts with urgency, follows through relentlessly, anticipates issues before they occur.
Hands-On Leadership – Leads side-by-side with operators, engages naturally on the shop floor.
Gemba Mindset – Believes improvement starts at the source; visible in operations daily.
Ownership & Accountability – Takes charge of issues and ensures closure.
Strong Collaborator – Works exceptionally well with Plant Manager, supervisors, and Regional CI leadership.
Analytical Thinking – Translates operational problems into clear data-driven actions.
Culture Builder – Drives positive change through influence, coaching, and example.
Integrity & Reliability – Trusted to deliver what they say; respected by all levels.
Adaptability – Thrives in changing priorities and rapidly shifting environments.
Results Driven – Obsessed with improving SQDCP performance and delivering measurable impact.
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Company Benefits
What You'll Get From Us
Benefits
With safety as our top priority and a commitment to employee well-being an important focus, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits that include medical, dental and vision insurance as well as a variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health. Specific benefits and well-being programs may vary depending on where you work.
Community Engagement
At Novolex, giving back to the local communities that support us is important. Our Focused Giving Program prioritizes support for organizations whose missions promote sustainability initiatives or address food and hunger needs. We also encourage facility level support of activities in the communities where our employees live and work.
Training and Development
We offer constant opportunities for advancement. From skills development to advanced education programs, training and development programs and courses are available through MyLearning. Programs include company and industry training curricula, support for formal education through the Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union), and a Learning Management System that supports and enhances employee skills at all levels of the organization.
Novolex is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices, including but not limited to selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, handicap or disability, genetics, citizenship status, service member or veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. Any individual who, because of his or her disability, needs an accommodation in connection with an aspect of the Company's application process should contact myHRservices@novolex.com .
Formerly Pactiv Evergreen
Job Locations US-IL-Franklin Park
ID 2025-28952
Category Manufacturing
Position Type Full Time
Pay Type Salaried