Continuous Improvement (NOS) Coordinator

Location: Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Manufacturing / Aluminium Processing

About the Opportunity

A leading manufacturing organisation is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement Coordinator to drive a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement across its Italian operations.

The role will lead the implementation of a structured operational improvement system, leveraging Lean Manufacturing, World Class Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and change management methodologies to improve operational performance, reduce costs, and strengthen organisational capabilities.

Working closely with the Management Team, Operations leadership, Finance, and functional leaders, the successful candidate will play a key role in driving transformation and embedding sustainable improvement practices across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

- Lead the development and implementation of the organisation's continuous improvement operating system.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.
- Identify operational challenges and work with management teams to develop and implement effective solutions.
- Support existing Centres of Excellence covering areas such as Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Routine Management, Progressive Quality, Education & Training, and Focused Improvement.
- Develop improvement roadmaps with functional leaders and identify opportunities to introduce additional Centres of Excellence.

Lean & Six Sigma

- Coach improvement teams in the effective application of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
- Provide guidance on structured problem-solving techniques including Root Cause Analysis, 5 Why, and Ishikawa diagrams.
- Support teams in identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, and sustaining improvements.




- Promote standardised continuous improvement tools and practices across operations.

Cost Reduction & Financial Performance

- Partner closely with Finance to establish an effective cost deployment process.
- Identify and develop cost-reduction initiatives in collaboration with functional leaders.
- Support ambitious site-level cost optimisation programmes.
- Connect operational improvement initiatives with measurable financial outcomes.

Change Management

- Act as Change Leader within the local Management Team.
- Lead the organisational Change Management programme.
- Support Operations leadership and the Management Team through structured change management methodologies.
- Use tools such as Population Impact Analysis, SWOT Analysis, and Change Effectiveness Reviews to assess and manage transformation initiatives.
- Identify resistance to change and develop strategies to improve adoption and engagement.

Operations Support

- Work closely with the Operations Director to support implementation of the continuous improvement operating system.
- Support operational routines, production events, and improvement activities across manufacturing environments.
- Help embed sustainable improvement practices into day-to-day operations.

Training & Capability Development

- Work with functional leaders to identify continuous improvement training requirements across the organisation.
- Design and deliver tailored training programmes for both operational employees and management.
- Develop internal capability in Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving,



and continuous improvement methodologies.

Regional Collaboration

- Act as a key link between Italian manufacturing sites and the wider regional organisation.
- Participate in regional continuous improvement meetings and initiatives.
- Support assessment and certification activities across European manufacturing sites.
- Share best practices and facilitate cross-site learning.

Requirements

- 5+ years of experience as a Continuous Improvement Manager, Lean Manager, Operational Excellence Manager, or similar.
- Strong experience within manufacturing environments, preferably involving continuous production lines.
- Proven experience leading Change Management programmes, particularly in environments with significant resistance to change.
- Demonstrated success delivering substantial site-level cost reduction programmes.
- Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical/scientific discipline.
- Native-level Italian.
- Excellent English language skills.
- Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across functions and organisational levels.

Key Skills & Competencies

- Continuous Improvement
- Lean Manufacturing
- World Class Manufacturing
- Six Sigma
- Operational Excellence
- Change Management
- Cost Reduction
- Root Cause Analysis
- Problem Solving
- Cost Deployment
- Manufacturing Operations
- Process Optimisation
- Performance Improvement
- Training & Development
- Stakeholder Management
- Transformation Leadership

Compensation & Benefits

- Salary: €53,000–€58,000 gross annual salary + premio
- Contract: Permanent, full-time
- Employment Level: Metalworking industry collective agreement, Level B3 / Managerial classification
- Opportunities to contribute to regional and international continuous improvement initiatives.

📌 Continuous Improvement Coordinator (Varese)
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📍 Varese