Production System Black Belts

Buckner & Associates has been retained to identify and recruit three (3) Six Sigma Black Belt applicants for Caterpillar’s Decatur, Illinois Production System Development Program. Successful applicants will be placed in a seven-month Six Sigma development program where they will attend classes one week per month, while working on assigned, real life production projects the balance of the month. We encourage applicants with prior lean manufacturing experience (Green Belts, Black Belts, etc.) to apply. CPS Black Belt positions are currently available at three different grade levels, depending on applicant level of experience with lean manufacturing principals, processes, and methodologies.

 

Six Sigma Black Belts



 

Job Purpose: To lead project teams in order to improve critical business processes that drive financial results. The incumbent will scope moderately complex projects, and develop project plans and business cases, as well as recruit, train, and lead project team members.

 

Job Duties: As with all Six Sigma Black Belts, individuals in these roles will be asked to train and lead improvement project teams. After completion of their training, Level One Black Belts should be capable of leading projects with an average savings per project of $150,000 and concurrently lead 1-3 projects of this magnitude. The majority of these projects will be of moderate complexity and focused in a single or across few functional areas within a Business Unit.

 

The incumbent will lead projects where the subject focus and solution are moderately complex in nature, availability, and attainability. Improvement projects should be lead within the value center and effectively coordinated with the Deployment Champion and other improvement project teams. Project leadership includes identifying opportunities, defining and financially justifying projects, launching project teams, using good project management to manage team activities, leading teams to execute projects using Design of Experiments and other methodology, tracking project status and results, removing and elevating project barriers, and developing team members. It is also critical to identify integration issues with other projects and processes and coordinate the improvements with the appropriate project and process owners, to accomplish the project goals.

 

Background/Experience: A Bachelor’s degree is preferred in Engineering or Business, or an equivalent level of work experience. Three to five years of professional level experience is required and prior supervisory experience is a plus.  The candidate should have project management skills, team leadership skills, and good communication skills. He/she should also have knowledge of other functions that provide inputs regularly, i.e., Product Development, Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Accounting, Human Resources, and Operations.  The jobholder must have the ability to learn and do statistical analysis and have basic computer skills.

 

Interested applicants should submit their resume and salary history to Stephen L. Buckner, President of Buckner & Associates, at sbuckner@bucknerandassociates.com .