Bakery Continuous Improvement Engineer

Carolina Foods, Inc.; Pineville (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Carolina Foods, Inc. in Pineville, NC seeks a Continuous Improvement Engineer to lead plant-floor improvements that boost OEE, reduce losses, and optimize line changeovers.

You will collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Reliability, Sanitation, and Quality to translate improvements into standard work and daily routines. The role requires Lean/CI experience, root-cause analysis, and hands-on equipment startup knowledge, ensuring safety, quality, and continuous improvement across automated

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, food science, operations management, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of hands-on manufacturing experience applying continuous improvement or Lean methods with measurable results.
• Experience starting up and commissioning automated production equipment including FAT/SAT, debugging, and ramp-up to rated performance.
• Strong root cause analysis, problem-solving skills, and knowledge of GMPs and food safety requirements.
• Excellent communication skills, including training employees; proficient with MS Office and production data analysis.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment; flexible to nonstandard shifts.

Responsibilities

• Analyze OEE, downtime, scrap, and production data by line and shift to identify and address largest performance losses.
• Lead projects that reduce waste, improve labor utilization, and increase throughput and capacity.
• Lead SMED changeovers with clear baselines, targets, action plans, and follow-up.
• Serve as plant liaison for automation startups with OEMs, controls integrators, and Maintenance; participate in FAT/SAT and ramp-up.
• Develop and audit SOPs for new equipment and improved processes; train teams to follow them.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Root Cause Analysis

OEE Improvement

SMED

Data Analysis

MS Office

Team Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

PLC/HMI Systems

MES/ERP familiarity

OSHA 30-hour

Job description

Carolina Foods, Inc. in Pineville, NC seeks a Continuous Improvement Engineer to lead plant-floor improvements that boost OEE, reduce losses, and optimize line changeovers.

You will collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Reliability, Sanitation, and Quality to translate improvements into standard work and daily routines. The role requires Lean/CI experience, root-cause analysis, and hands-on equipment startup knowledge, ensuring safety, quality, and continuous improvement across automated