Head of Process Engineer & Continuous Improvement

About the role

Tropic Knits Group, part of the CIEL Group textile cluster, is an integrated textile and apparel manufacturer with fabric and garment operations in Mauritius and Madagascar. It is seeking an experienced leader to head its Continuous Improvement department, reporting to the Chief Operations Officer. The role builds a team of Industrial Engineers and Continuous Improvement specialists and works with Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and Human Resources.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Group's Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence strategy, including a multi-year roadmap, and advise senior management
• Deploy Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work and Visual Management across Fabric and Garment operations
• Monitor operational KPIs, set up governance for improvement projects and support factory layout, material flow, automation and digital transformation
• Establish Industrial Engineering standards, oversee time studies, work measurement, capacity planning, line balancing and productivity programs
• Drive improvements in productivity, efficiency, quality, delivery, cost, waste reduction and capacity utilization
• Lead, coach and develop the Industrial Engineering and Continuous Improvement teams, build training programs and set up succession plans
• Promote best practice sharing between Mauritius and Madagascar, standardize processes and travel regularly between sites

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management or a related field; Master's degree an advantage
• At least 10 years in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Excellence or Continuous Improvement, and 5 years in a senior leadership role
• Proven experience leading Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence initiatives, and managing multi-site operations and cross-functional teams
• Experience in textile, apparel or high-volume manufacturing preferred

Required skills

• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Root Cause Analysis
• Industrial engineering techniques, capacity planning, productivity improvement, project management, data analytics and KPI management
• Strategic thinking, stakeholder management, coaching, change leadership and communication