We’re on a mission to make healthcare safer. Daniels Health provides reusable medical waste containers designed to reduce needlestick injuries and support sustainability. After use, we professionally clean and sanitize each container for reuse, while responsibly disposing of medical waste at our treatment facilities. Our closed-loop system ensures safety, compliance, and environmental responsibility for our customers.
The Continuous Improvement Specialist (CIS) will support strategic and hands-on initiatives that drive efficiency, cost reduction, and process optimization across Daniels Health’s U.S. operations, including plants and transfer stations.
Based remotely, this role travels to partner closely with regional and local operations leadership, as well as local and national Maintenance and Engineering teams, to identify and execute practical, sustainable improvements that enhance operational performance.
The CIS focuses on the practical application of Lean, continuous improvement, and industrial engineering principles, delivering measurable results in productivity, safety, quality, and cost efficiency while fostering a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and accountability.
What You'll Do:
- Apply Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and other structured problem-solving methodologies to eliminate waste, and drive measurable cost savings
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance across processing plants and transfer stations
- Teach, lead, and develop capabilities within cross-functional teams on loss elimination tools and methodology
- Influence and engage individuals at all organizational levels — from frontline team members to senior leaders — to participate in ideation, active problem-solving, prioritization, solution development, testing, and full-scale deployment
- Coach and train site teams on Lean principles, structured problem-solving, and root cause analysis methodologies (e.g., PDCA, DMAIC, AMD, Loss Analysis, 8D, 5 Whys, Fishbone)
- Develop internal CI champions and sustainment mechanisms to ensure long-term success of initiatives
- Support process design improvements, automation projects, and infrastructure optimization initiatives that reduce costs and increase throughput
- Work directly with site teams to deliver initiatives that lower operational expenses through improved process efficiency, waste minimization, and resource optimization
- Closely partner with frontline leadership to cultivate a data-driven decision-making and evidence-based mindset
- Develop and train sites on best practices that improve reliability, reduce variability, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
- Lead project teams onsite in business units to deliver savings while developing site problem solving capabilities
- Travel approximately 50 - 70% of the time to different business units
Must-Have Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or equivalent experience
Minimum of 3 years of experience in continuous improvement, process engineering, or operational excellence roles in manufacturing, logistics, or industrial environments
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
Proven experience applying structured problem-solving approaches such as PDCA, DMAIC, DFSS, or 8D within a manufacturing or distribution setting
Demonstrated success in implementing structured loss elimination projects that delivered measurable cost savings
Strong analytical, communication, and project management skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels
Proven ability to lead change across multi-site or regional operations
Comfortable with hands-on work in plant and transfer station environments
Experience collaborating with engineering and maintenance teams on process optimization projects
Nice-To-Have Qualifications:
Background in a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) environment (or equivalent framework)
Experience in healthcare, environmental services, food & beverage, or other regulated industries
Familiarity with ERP systems and analytics tools (e.g., SAP, Power BI, Tableau)
Why Daniels:
Industry Leader: Over 20 years of excellence in medical waste management with top-tier NPS and delivery-reliability scores
401K Matching: 50% employer match on up to 6% contribution (up to 3% employer contribution), with match starting Day 1, 5-year vesting schedule
Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage effective Day 1; paid short-term disability; company-sponsored life insurance; and more
Job Stability: As an essential healthcare service provider, we’re recession-proof and non-seasonal
Empowering, visionary culture: We think differently, act boldly, and value authenticity, creativity, and trust. Our team thrives on innovation, agility, and purpose-driven work, where every unique talent contributes to meaningful impact in healthcare