Lean Six Sigma / Process Improvement Manager

Industry: Recycling & Sustainability
Location: Stockton or Modesto, CA (preferred) with travel throughout California facilities
Duration: 6+ Month Contract Engagement with potential for extension
Schedule: Monday-Wednesday onsite, Thursday virtual, Friday remote
Travel: Frequent travel between facilities; mileage, hotel, and travel expenses covered
Overview
A rapidly growing recycling and sustainability organization is seeking a Lean Six Sigma / Process Improvement Manager to drive operational excellence initiatives across five California facilities. The business has experienced approximately 30-40% growth and is looking for a dedicated leader to establish operational standards, improve efficiency, optimize throughput, and increase profitability.
This individual will work directly with ownership and site leadership to evaluate current operations, identify improvement opportunities, implement best practices, and create a scalable operational framework that can be replicated across multiple facilities.
Facility Locations

Stockton, CA (2 facilities)
Modesto, CA
Escalon area facility
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Candidates located in Stockton or Modesto are preferred, though strong regional candidates will be considered.
Key Responsibilities
Lead Lean Six Sigma initiatives across five recycling and material-processing facilities.
Travel regularly between locations to assess operations and identify improvement opportunities.
Analyze and redesign operational processes, material flow, and facility workflows.
Develop and implement standardized operating procedures and best practices.
Establish KPIs, scorecards, and reporting mechanisms to measure operational performance.
Optimize throughput, labor utilization, inventory management, and profitability.
Evaluate facility layouts and recommend improvements to reduce bottlenecks and waste.
Partner with operations, accounting, and leadership teams to improve visibility and accountability.
Drive change management initiatives and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Deliver data-driven recommendations that support strategic business decisions.
Create sustainable operational processes that can be replicated across multiple sites.

Initial Focus Areas
Facility and production operations
Material handling and process flow
Throughput optimization
Inventory visibility and controls
Labor efficiency
KPI development and performance reporting
Cost reduction initiatives
Operational profitability improvements
Standardization of processes across sites

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to HR@insightglobal.com.To learn more about how we collect, keep, and process your private information, please review Insight Global's Workforce Privacy Policy: https://insightglobal.com/workforce-privacy-policy/.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Strong background in manufacturing, logistics, industrial operations, process improvement, or operational excellence.
Experience implementing Lean and continuous improvement programs in plant or facility environments.
Proven success driving measurable improvements in productivity, efficiency, cost reduction, and profitability.
Strong analytical, project management, and change management skills.
Ability to work independently and influence multiple teams across geographically dispersed locations.
Comfortable spending significant time onsite in operational environments.

Multi-site operations experience.
Background in recycling, waste management, commodities processing, manufacturing, distribution, or logistics.
Experience developing KPIs, dashboards, and operational reporting frameworks.
Experience working within private equity-backed, high-growth, or turnaround organizations.
Proven ability to drive operational transformation across multiple facilities.
Hands-on leadership style with a willingness to spend time on the floor identifying improvement opportunities.

Benefit packages for this role will start on the 1st day of employment and include medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as HSA, FSA, and DCFSA account options, and 401k retirement account access with employer matching. Employees in this role are also entitled to paid sick leave and/or other paid time off as provided by applicable law.