Lean Manufacturing Consultant

We are looking for an experienced Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen Consultant to lead an operational assessment at a manufacturing site in Racine County, Wisconsin. This Long-term Contract position will focus on evaluating workflows, space utilization, and process performance within dry blending operations to identify practical opportunities for greater efficiency. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen methodologies and can translate observations and data into clear, actionable improvements for production teams.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct a detailed time study of dry blending activities to uncover bottlenecks, delays, and non-value-added work across the production flow.

• Map the movement of materials and work-in-process from freeze drying through milling, blending, and bulk powder packaging to improve operational throughput.

• Assess current floor layout and room usage to recommend more effective ways to manage constrained manufacturing space and shared production areas.

• Partner with plant leadership, supervisors, and operators to observe existing practices and develop realistic process improvement opportunities.

• Identify methods to reduce downtime associated with cleaning, sanitizing, and room changeovers while maintaining operational standards.

• Analyze how labor, equipment, and workflow are coordinated across first-shift operations running seven days per week and propose productivity enhancements.

• Develop prioritized recommendations for improving efficiency, room-to-room movement, and overall dry blending performance.

• Use operational data and on-site observations to support decision-making and present findings, risks, and improvement plans to stakeholders.

• Demonstrated experience leading process improvement initiatives within a production or manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and related continuous improvement methods.
• Ability to perform workflow analysis, time studies, and production floor mapping to identify efficiency gains.
• Background in supply chain, logistics, production planning, or manufacturing program management.
• Comfortable evaluating operations in facilities with space limitations, multi-use rooms, and complex material flow.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret operational data and turn findings into actionable recommendations.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate with managers, supervisors, and frontline production teams.
• Familiarity with tools such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is helpful but not required.