WHO WE ARE:

Douglas Dynamics is North America’s premier manufacturer and upfitter of work truck attachments and equipment. Our belief is that our employees and culture are just as important to the company as serving our customers. We place a high value on building a team and working environment where individuals can succeed professionally and personally. As a team member at Douglas Dynamics, you can expect to make a difference through your work, to have a direct impact on the achievement of a very meaningful mission to serve our customers, to advance your career, and to have room for fun and fulfillment in your daily life.

We would love to have you join our team, where we offer top notch benefits, multiple avenues for advancement and a great working environment.

HOW WE DO IT:

Grow, Improve, and Engage is our focus as an organization to ensure we succeed by executing the right things. These are our Core Values and are How We Win in the marketplace. The Winning Behaviors are what each Douglas Dynamics employee does to support the success of our company. They are the expectations of all of us to help ensure we focus on winning as an organization the right way! Our Winning Behaviors are:

• Be Customer & Results Driven
• Anticipate the Possibilities
• Collaborate & Care
• Communicate Responsibly
• Develop Self & Others
• Get Better Every Day

We are seeking a Lean Manufcturing Specialist.

HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE:

Provide leadership and expertise in the implementation of the Douglas Dynamics Management System (DDMS) at locations and within all functional areas, with a heavy focus on manufacturing. Partner with location manufacturing leadership and key individuals to drive standardization, stability and simplification in business processes. Drive and influence positive changes that directly support defined and deployed strategic initiatives of the division.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU:

• A fulfilling career with the ability to contribute to an Industry leader
• A comprehensive suite of benefits
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• A generous 401k match
• Profit sharing for all full-time employees

HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE:

• Act as a DDMS change agent by relentlessly eliminating waste and improving efficiency.
• Advise and counsel all functional area leaders to identify issues impacting Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost. Assist with the prioritization of opportunities and execution of solutions to drive measurable results.
• Develop and continuously strengthen subject matter expertise prioritized on business needs.
• Support the development and facilitate the execution of customized, division specific DDMS programs; e.g. Manufacturing Operating System (MOS), and supplemental training materials for teaching/learning, including implementation strategies and timelines outlining phases, deliverables and key progression milestones and phase gates.
• Train, guide and influence the effective implementation of the MOS throughout all shop floor production and support areas while monitoring progress and sustainment of the learned skills and associated practices.
• Measure our division’s Lean Manufacturing maturity, by location, through an Overall Lean Effectiveness (OLE) assessment while assisting with the identification and prioritization of learning opportunities. PDCA the OLE assessment to align with our maturity level and extended goals.
• Lead and/or assist with the development of customized DDMS practitioner tools tailored to our methodologies and process needs. Provide training and conduct follow-up assessments with managers and trainees to influence and promote the continued use and retention of the corresponding knowledge with sustained accountability.
• Nurture a culture of improvement by facilitating team-based events (2/3P and Kaizen); ultimately, train and coach leaders to be capable of leading their own events.
• Help leaders develop a long-term vision, using tools such as the OLE assessment and Value Stream Mapping to create a strategic plan of structured improvement.
• Promote information, best practices and results sharing within and across locations and divisions to maximize organizational learning and align through standardization (as appropriate).
• Manage other projects or duties as assigned.

WHAT THIS ROLE NEEDS:

Education/Experience:

• Technical/Associate’s Degree required. Bachelor’s degree is beneficial. Manufacturing/Engineering preferred.

Experience and/or Training :

• 3+ years of leadership experience while working directly in a Lean Manufacturing setting using practices equivalent to the DDMS (Douglas Dynamics Management System), based on the Toyota Production System, is required; “hands on” experience in an OEM business is beneficial. Thorough understanding, ability to apply principles, and capability to train and coach the location Manufacturing Team to continuously improve using:
• Fundamental Lean Operating Systems:
  • 5S, Manufacturing Process Documentation - TPS Standard Work (SW) / TWI Job Instruction (JI), Problem Solving (PS), Andon, Managing Daily Improvement (MDI)
• Other Lean Operating Systems:
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) - Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) - Change-over reduction, Pull Systems
• Fundamental Manufacturing Management Skills & Knowledge:
  • Level Loaded Daily Demand Production (80-16-4 Principal), Labor Planning, Budget Management – Fixed/Variable and CapEx, Utilization of Capacity (U of C)
  • Intricate knowledge of manufacturing processes and familiarity with all business processes.
• Strategy Deployment & Continuous Improvement Vision/Execution:
  • Future State Planning, Value-Stream/Process Mapping, Production Preparation Process (2P/3P) and Kaizen, Manufacturing Initiative Project Management

Licenses/Certificates:

• Any licenses/certifications related to Lean Manufacturing preferred.

Other Related Skills and Abilities:

• Digital toolset proficiency - Capable of developing process tools, professional presentations, reports.
  • Strong skills using Microsoft Office Suite, including but not limited to: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint.
  • Skills using Microsoft Power Suite, specifically Power Apps, Power BI and Power Automate, are a plus.
• Workload Management proficiency - Delegation, Prioritization, Multi-tasking, Project Management.
  • Operate with a bias towards organization and preparation.
  • Strong self-motivation to pursue the completion of projects.
• Executive Presence, Team Engagement, Leadership and Communication; Influencing, inspiring confidence, adapting to your audience, displaying patience to listen/learn, building relationships, critical conversations; formal, informal, written, verbal, expression.
  • Strong team-based orientated leader with the ability to:
    • Patiently and indirectly influence a team to find opportunities to eliminate process waste and develop ownership for executing improvements and solutions.
    • Listen, reflect, and adjust strategy when acquiring new information.
    • Teach and adjust techniques to effectively work with people who have different learning styles and skill sets.
    • Prioritize, flex pace and balance expectations with various business areas and their leaders based on business conditions.

Travel:

• Travel will be required on occasion (5-10%)

Our focus on integrity, teamwork, and high performance creates an ideal work environment for every one of our employees.

We offer competitive salaries, benefits, and opportunities for personal and professional growth. Discover our opportunities and come see all the ways you can do more at Douglas Dynamics.

Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women, communities of color and historically underrepresented talent are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Douglas Dynamics we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Douglas Dynamics, LLC does not discriminate against qualified applicants in hiring based on race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.