Continuous Improvement Program Manager

Job Description Position Summary
The Continuous Improvement Program Manager drives performance excellence across the Maintenance and Facilities organization by strengthening communication, developing frontline leadership, optimizing work processes, and embedding reliability‑focused behaviors.

This role partners closely with the Facilities Leadership Team, Site Operations, and SHE to improve maintenance effectiveness. The Continuous Improvement Program Manager acts as the integrator, facilitator, and accelerator of improvement initiatives that enhance equipment reliability, reduce waste, and elevate craft and supervisor capability.

Key Responsibilities Program Leadership

• Maintenance Work Process Optimization — Streamline planning, scheduling, permitting, job execution, closeout, and feedback loops using Lean principles.
• Reliability Program Support — Strengthen Reliability Centered Maintenance, bad‑actor elimination, PdM utilization, and MI compliance in partnership with the Engineering and Reliability teams.
• Root Cause Analysis — Lead RCAs, track corrective actions, and ensure sustainable recurrence prevention.
• Joint Troubleshooting — Facilitate cross‑functional problem solving between Maintenance and Operations.
• Benchmarking — Compare performance against internal and external best practices to identify improvement opportunities.
• Develop dashboards, KPIs, and performance reviews to monitor progress and drive accountability.

People Development & Communication

• Supervisor Development — Coach maintenance supervisors on leadership, communication, prioritization, and work execution discipline.
• Craft Skills Development — Build structured training programs, increase self-perform capability, and develop skill progression pathways (e.g., API storage tank repair, pipe fabrication/replacement for all services).
• Cross‑Functional Communication — Improve communication between Maintenance and Operations with emphasis on handoffs and job status visibility.
• Facilitate learning teams, after‑action reviews, and sharing of lessons learned.

Process Improvement

• 5S — Lead 5S implementation in shops, tool rooms, staging areas, and job sites.
• Housekeeping & Worksite Discipline — Improve jobsite organization, cleanliness, and post‑work restoration.
• Kitting & Materials Flow — Facilitate the development of a kitting program, staging efficiency, and parts availability to increase execution effectiveness and quality of work.
• Permitting Process — Reduce administrative friction and improve readiness to begin work.
• Waste Reduction — Identify and eliminate non‑value‑added activities across the maintenance workflow.
• Cost Reduction — Drive initiatives that reduce nonvalue added overtime, rework, contractor spend, and material waste.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills Qualifications

• Strong maintenance background with previous experience as a Maintenance Manager or equivalent leadership role.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, culture transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong communication, coaching, and motivational skills.
• Experience with Lean, 5S, RCA, PdM technologies, and maintenance work processes.
• High stress tolerance and ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, high‑expectation environment.
• Ability to influence without direct reporting and work collaboratively across functions.
• Significant maintenance execution experience.

Education:

• Typically a Bachelor's Degree and 8 years work experience or equivalent experience

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills Extensive maintenance execution experience.

Experience working in unionized environments.

Demonstrated success leading organizational change in legacy organizations.

Pay Information
Full-Time Salary Range: $107952 - $183518

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits: At BAE Systems, we support our employees in all aspects of their life, including their health and financial well-being. Regular employees scheduled to work 20+ hours per week are offered: health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings accounts; a 401(k) savings plan; disability coverage; and life and accident insurance. We also have an employee assistance program, a legal plan, and other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance. Our leave programs include paid time off, paid holidays, as well as other types of leave, including paid parental, military, bereavement, and any applicable federal and state sick leave. Employees may participate in the company recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards. Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.
About BAE Systems Platforms & Services BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you’ll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference.

The Platforms & Services (P&S) sector under BAE Systems, Inc does the big stuff: the armored combat vehicles, naval guns, missile launchers, and ship repair…just to name a few. Our employees take pride in the work they do and why they do it. They are on the front lines every day, building our products to protect the lives of those who serve. We may be biased, but we think P&S does some of the coolest work around, and we think you will too.