Christian Dior Plant Continuous Improvement Manager
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Manager
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- May 3, 2026
About Christian Dior
Christian Dior Couture is a leading haute couture and ready-to-wear Maison renowned for its craftsmanship, creativity and maisons of excellence. As a global luxury fashion house, the Maison operates manufacturing and atelier sites where artisanal savoir-faire is combined with industrial rigor. The role sits within a group context that emphasizes heritage, innovation and international operations.
Christian Dior Couture in Milan seeks a Plant Continuous Improvement Manager to drive Lean manufacturing, time & methods and production costing.
Role & Responsibilities
- Act as the primary liaison with Corporate Operational Excellence to implement standardized best practices and process optimizations across the plant.
- Lead Kaizen and continuous improvement initiatives to raise production efficiency, reduce scrap and minimise material waste.
- Perform time & method studies (define flows, cycles and standard work), identify operational losses and redesign shop-floor activities to shorten cycle times.
- Analyse and validate costing inputs; support development and refinement of cost models for materials, labour and manufacturing processes.
- Monitor and interpret key manufacturing KPIs (productivity, scrap, efficiency, material usage) and drive corrective action plans.
- Facilitate cross-functional workshops to surface improvement opportunities and deploy structured, measurable action plans.
- Conduct root-cause analysis and oversee implementation of corrective and preventive actions to secure sustained gains.
- Benchmark internal and external industrial practices, applying a rigorous industrial mindset to a fashion manufacturing environment.
- Support rollout and adoption of digital tools and methodologies for data collection, performance tracking and workflow optimisation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
- Minimum 5 years’ proven experience in continuous improvement, industrial engineering or production within an international operations environment.
- Deep practical knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen and structured problem‑solving methodologies.
- Expertise in time & methods techniques (MTM, MOST or equivalent) and in defining standard work.
- Solid understanding of production flows, material efficiency and product costing.
- Advanced proficiency with Excel and familiarity with data collection/performance-tracking tools.
- Hands-on approach with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on the shop floor with operators and managers.
- Strong communication and workshop facilitation skills; fluent English required, French desirable.
Skills
Experience
Minimum 5 years in continuous improvement, industrial engineering or production roles within a dynamic, international manufacturing environment, with direct shop-floor deployment experience.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
Workplace
This position is based in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
Culture
The Maison cultivates a high-performance yet creative environment where craftsmanship and industrial excellence coexist. Employees are expected to combine technical rigour with a collaborative, solution‑oriented mindset in a workplace that values passing on savoir‑faire and continuous improvement.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Christian Dior, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Production Efficiency Manager», «Manufacturing Process Improvement Manager», «Time & Methods Manager», «Lean Manufacturing Manager», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.