Continuous Improvement Program Manager Jobs in Tennessee

About the RoleCMC designs and manufactures tufting machinery and has an established Lean operating structure with existing quality practices in place. We're looking for a Quality & Continuous Improvement Manager to own two connected things: bringing our quality practices into alignment with ISO 9001 and driving the ongoing process improvement work that reduces cost, waste, and cycle time across the shop - including how engineering changes and new designs move into production.This isn't two separate jobs bolted together - quality and continuous improvement should reinforce each other. A defect is a process problem, and fixing it the Lean way (root cause, standard work, mistake-proofing) is what actually makes quality stick instead of becoming a paperwork exercise.What You'll DoQuality Practices• Assess current quality practices against ISO 9001 requirements and close the gaps so our processes align with the standard.• Formalize document control, calibration, and internal audit programs, building on the existing Lean structure rather than replacing it.• Own control plans for new product introductions and engineering changes.• Build a consistent method for capturing scrap, rework, warranty, and field failure costs (COPQ) using Epicor Kinetic data, and report it by job, product line, and root cause on a regular cadence.• Drive root cause / corrective action (RCCA, 8D) on repeat quality issues and track closure to completion.Continuous Improvement• Lead kaizen events and targeted process improvement projects across the machine shop, welding, and assembly areas.• Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities using COPQ data, scrap trends, and floor observation - not just where it's easiest to run an event.• Build and maintain standard work, visual management, and mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) where they reduce variation and defects.• Track savings and cycle-time impact from CI projects and report results against CMG's operational improvement goals.• Train and coach area leads and operators on basic problem-solving tools (5 Why, A3, PDCA) so improvement isn't dependent on one person running it.Engineering & Process Improvement• Partner with the Director of Engineering to identify design changes that would reduce manufacturability issues, rework, or scrap - feeding shop-floor problems back into design decisions instead of just absorbing them downstream.• Review new product introductions and engineering changes for manufacturability and quality risk before they hit the floor, not after.• Work with Engineering to standardize designs and reduce unnecessary variation across similar products where it's driving avoidable cost or complexity.• Build a feedback loop so recurring production issues systematically inform future design and engineering decisions.Cross-Functional Partnership• Partner with the Manufacturing Process Manager and Area Plant Manager to resolve process and floor-related quality issues at the source.• Work with Materials on supplier quality issues, scorecards, and corrective action follow-up for critical components.• Serve as the primary quality contact for customers requiring formal documentation (certificates of conformance, corrective action responses, inspection reports).What You BringRequired• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related field.• 8+ years in a quality and/or continuous improvement role in a heavy machine shop or heavy industrial manufacturing environment - large fabricated components, precision machining, weldments.• Hands-on experience implementing ISO 9001-aligned practices (not just working inside a certified system).• Practical experience running kaizen events, A3s, or similar structured problem-solving - able to show real before/after results, not just training certificates.• Experience working cross-functionally with engineering to resolve manufacturability and design-related quality issues.• Comfortable pulling and interpreting data from an ERP system (Epicor experience a plus, not required).• Enough shop-floor credibility to earn respect from machinists, welders, and assemblers - this isn't a desk job.Preferred• ASQ certification (CQE or CQM/OE).• Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt.• Experience building a quality function inside a Lean environment rather than treating the two as separate programs.Success in the First Year Looks Like• ISO 9001 gap assessment complete against current practices, with a clear roadmap for alignment.• A working COPQ reporting process pulling directly from Epicor Kinetic, reviewed monthly with operations leadership.• A documented manufacturability review process in place with Engineering for new products and design changes.• A running cadence of kaizen/improvement projects with tracked, documented savings.• Measurable reduction in repeat scrap/rework issues on top offenders, including those tied to design.