Sr. Lean Manager - The Toro Company

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Who Are We?   

The Toro Company is a homegrown, Minnesota-based company that has been in business since 1914. We pride ourselves on providing world-class equipment to help maintain the environment that we love, while putting an emphasis on giving back to the communities that surround us. From residential lawns and gardens, to venues such as St Andrews Links and Target Field, we are a company with a global footprint and a passion for helping people beautify whatever landscape they may be in. With 100 years of operation under our belt and a healthy tenure, come find out what makes The Toro Company the best place in the Twin Cities to build a career. 

As the ​Sr. Lean Manager​, you will lead and influence the development and implementation of consistent Lean business practices across the multiple operations sites, functions and businesses to drive increased growth, operational excellence and empowered employees. Lead and/or participate in the development, execution, and maintenance of transformation plans, developing Lean training, delivering coaching and training on Lean principles, concepts and tools, leading kaizen events, knowledge sharing, and mentoring future Lean practitioners.  Responsibility for supporting multiple manufacturing sites, distribution centers and functional teams.

What Will You Do?

In order to grow and build a successful career with The Toro Company, you will be responsible for:  

• ​​​​Define, develop and deploy consistent Lean business practices in support of The Toro Company Business System (TBS), which is TTCs Lean enterprise system.
• Promote and guide teams driving transformational change in the implementation of the TBS, which includes Strategy Deployment, Visual Management, Daily Management, Material Flow, etc. utilizing various process improvement tools including, but not limited to: Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, Cell Design, Continuous Flow, Plan for Every Part, Changeover reduction, TPM, Root Cause Analysis, etc.
• Collaborate with leadership teams to develop long range strategic plans and annual plans in support of continuous improvement to drive improvements in key metrics such as safety, quality, delivery, cost, cash, employee engagement, and growth, identifying indicators for future improvement opportunities
• Establish and evolve operating principles, communication, knowledge sharing and reporting strategies to provide visibility into continuous improvement/Lean efforts
• Lead TBS maturity assessment process development, deployment and evolution and coordinate gap closure plans with leadership teams, the Corporate Lean Enterprise team and external Lean practitioners to achieve planned TBS maturity levels
• Develop and deploy training of Lean principles, concepts, behaviors and methods which enhance the existing culture to one of continuous improvement at all levels of the organization
• Develop and implement training plans to cascade Lean principles to key areas within the organization, involving all employees in the execution of the Lean process, ensuring open and sustained communication
• Provide coaching and mentoring to other Lean and Continuous Improvement practioners throughout the enterprise
• Provide project management and project leadership support for prioritized, complex, cross functional continuous improvement initiatives
• Communicate to leadership teams on overall Lean Enterprise initiatives, continuous improvement projects, kaizen status and assessment of customer needs on a regular basis
• Actively participate as a member of the Corporate Lean Enterprise Team to TBS, share best practices, report progress and provide support to other Lean Managers as necessary
• Stay current with technologies and Lean concepts through continuing education and benchmarking
• Full job description will be provided to final candidate at point of offer. 

What Do You Need?

To be considered for this role, an individual should meet the following minimal requirements:  

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS)
• Experience: 10+ years of Lean / Continuous Improvement Experience & Manufacturing and/or Distribution environments.
• Strong working knowledge of Lean tools: Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, Kaizen, Visual Management, Root Cause Analysis, TPM, Changeover reduction, Proven deployment and sustainment of Lean systems.
• Demonstrated leadership experience driving transformation
• Project / Program Management
• Strong analytical/problem-solving skills
• Strong communication (written + verbal)
• Travel up to 30% (domestic & international)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (MBA, Engineering, Operations, etc.)
• Lean System Experience
• Lean Six Sigma certification
• Functional / Technical Exposure: experience in Service Parts, Welding, Painting, Assembly, Injection Molding, Extrusion, Operations Leadership & Materials management

What Can We Give You?   

At The Toro Company, we are always working to make sure our employees know just how valued they are. In addition to a competitive salary, an affordable and top tier medical/dental/vision plan, 401k, and many other great benefits - The Toro company offers employees at our Bloomington, MN HQ location a variety of perks, including:  

• Dress for your day - We know you're more productive when you're comfortable, which is why TTC employees are encouraged to take advantage of our casual, corporate environment.  

• Location – Conveniently located near both St. Paul and Minneapolis, we are centrally located for most commuters!  

• Food - Take advantage of our onsite café, which serves both breakfast and lunch. With a Caribou Coffee attached, you can grab a snack and a coffee at any time during your day.  

• Wellness - The Toro Company’s HQ offers complimentary use of our onsite fitness facility to employees. In addition to physical wellbeing, TTC offers a variety of mental health and financial health resources to all employees.  

• Volunteerism - The Toro Company is proud to provide employees 20 hours of paid time to volunteer in the community.  

• Summer Hours – Enjoy a flexible schedule during the summer! By working a little more during the first few days of the week, TTC employees at our Bloomington HQ are able to start their weekends early and leave by noon on Friday.  

• Flexible Work Arrangements – This team is currently implementing a hybrid work schedule. The opportunity to collaborate in the office and work from home part-time, has promoted team-building and flexibility.  ​#LI-Onsite​ 

• Competitive Salary – The pay range takes into account skills, experience, education, and location. It is not common to be hired at or near the top of the range; compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the annual pay range is between ​$150,000​ - ​$175,000​. Cash compensation is one piece of our competitive total rewards package. You may be eligible to participate in an incentive program, which rewards employees based on individual and organizational performance. Eligibility and award amounts are determined by company policy and performance metrics. If you need to, you can access your pay early with the dailypay app.  

At The Toro Company, we are committed to fostering a secure and trustworthy recruitment experience for our applicants. Recruitment fraud is a growing concern for job seekers, so please be aware that throughout our recruitment process, you’ll never be required to pay any fees or disclose personal financial details when applying to TTC opportunities. All legitimate job opportunities must be applied for directly through our official careers page at jobs.thetorocompany.com or via Workday, our applicant tracking system. 

The Toro Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants based on merit and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military service, or other non-merit factors. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment for all employees.