Cornerstone Building Brands, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is the largest manufacturer of external building products in North America with over $6 billion in annual revenue and an expansive North American footprint that includes almost 20,000 employees, operating in +70 manufacturing facilities, supported by a network of +80 distribution and branch office facilities. We have a broad product offering with a well-regarded brand portfolio including the #1 position in windows, vinyl siding, metal accessories, metal roofing and wall systems, and insulated metal panels. We believe every building we create, and every part of that building, positively contributes to communities where people live, work and play.
The Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement (CI) leads the strategic deployment of the Cornerstone Production System (CPS) across enterprise business functions upstream of Manufacturing and Supply Chain. This role is accountable for driving transformation initiatives, embedding Lean thinking, and developing a culture of operational excellence across commercial and transactional departments. Acting as a change leader and CI expert, the Senior Manager partners with senior and executive leadership to deliver measurable improvements in business performance, customer value, and employee capability.
This role influences multiple business units, functions, and regions, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and standardization of Lean practices across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic CI Leadership
- Lead the deployment of Lean principles, Kaizen methodology, and CPS across commercial and enterprise support functions (e.g., Sales, Finance, Engineering, Customer Service, etc.).
- Align CI initiatives with corporate strategy and drive measurable progress toward annual and long-term performance targets.
- Collaborate with business unit leaders and executives to identify and prioritize transformation opportunities with high business impact.
- Enterprise Transformation
- Oversee CI efforts across multiple sites and departments, ensuring consistent adoption of CPS principles, tools, and behaviors.
- Facilitate strategic planning processes using Lean methodologies to support cost, quality, and service-level improvements.
- Serve as the enterprise change agent to support underperforming areas or high-priority business initiatives.
- Capability Building & Leadership Development
- Design and lead capability development programs for CI Managers, site leaders, and future Lean champions through CPS College™, kaizen facilitation, and structured coaching.
- Build and mentor a high-performing network of Lean facilitators and CI practitioners across the organization.
- Governance & Performance Management
- Develop and execute CI governance frameworks to monitor Lean maturity, audit compliance, and ROI of transformation initiatives.
- Lead monthly reviews of departmental CI Annual Plans, ensuring adherence to goals and providing strategic intervention when necessary.
- Innovation & Best Practice Sharing
- Promote cross-functional and cross-site knowledge sharing of Lean best practices, tools, and success stories.
- Support new product introductions with pre-launch and post-launch Kaizen and process optimization initiatives.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
- Build strong partnerships with senior stakeholders and serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on CI-related decisions.
- Present CI strategies, results, and business cases to leadership teams and corporate forums.
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, Operations, or Engineering discipline) strongly preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience leading Lean and Continuous Improvement efforts across business functions.
- Proven track record of driving enterprise-wide or business-unit-wide transformation and achieving measurable results.
- Deep expertise in Lean principles, Kaizen methodology, and business process reengineering.
- Strong executive presence and ability to influence and communicate with senior leadership.
- Exceptional facilitation, coaching, and change leadership skills.
- Experience working in a matrixed, cross-functional, and global organization preferred.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 75%, including international travel as needed.
This position plays a critical role in advancing Cornerstone’s operational excellence journey and requires a highly motivated, strategic thinker who can inspire others, lead by example, and deliver sustainable results.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Our teams are at the heart of our purpose to positively contribute to the communities where we live, work and play. Full-time* team members receive** medical, dental and vision benefits starting day 1. Other benefits include PTO, paid holidays, FSA, life insurance, LTD, STD, 401k, EAP, discount programs, tuition reimbursement, training, and professional development. You can also join one of our Employee Resource Groups which help support our commitment to providing a diverse and inclusive work environment.
*Full-time is defined as regularly working 30+ hours per week. **Union programs may vary depending on the collective bargaining agreement.
Why work for Cornerstone Building Brands?
Our teams are at the heart of our purpose to positively contribute to the communities where we live, work and play. Full-time* team members receive** medical, dental and vision benefits starting day 1. Other benefits include PTO, paid holidays, FSA, life insurance, LTD, STD, 401k, EAP, discount programs, tuition reimbursement, training, and professional development.
*Full-time is defined as regularly working 30+ hours per week. **Union programs may vary depending on the collective bargaining agreement.
Cornerstone Building Brands is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, or status as a protected veteran. You can find the Equal Employment Opportunity Poster here. You can also view Your Right to Work Poster here along with This Organizations Participation in E-Verify Poster here. If you'd like to view a copy of the company's affirmative action plan for protected veterans or individuals with disabilities or policy statement, please contact Human Resources at 281-897-7788 or HRCompliance@cornerstone-bb.com. If you have a disability and you believe that you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please contact Human Resources at 281-897-7788 or HRCompliance@cornerstone-bb.com. This email is used exclusively to assist disabled job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Only emails received for this purpose will be returned. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or technical issues not related to a disability, will not receive a response.
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018
Must be at least 18 years of age to apply.
Notice of Recruitment Fraud
We have been made aware of multiple scams whereby unauthorized individuals are using Cornerstone Building Brand's name and logo to solicit potential job-seekers for employment. In some cases, job-seekers are being contacted directly, both by phone and e-mail. In other instances, these unauthorized individuals are placing advertisements for fake positions with both legitimate websites and fabricated ones. These individuals are typically promising high-paying jobs with the requirement that the job-seeker send money to pay for things such as visa applications or processing fees. Please be advised that Cornerstone Building Brands will never ask potential job-seekers for any sort of advance payment or bank account information as part of the recruiting or hiring process.