Continuous Improvement Engineer

Sears Seating; Davenport (IA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Sears Seating is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to drive operational excellence at our Davenport, IA facility. You will lead Lean/Six Sigma initiatives, map value streams, and guide Kaizen events to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.

The role requires strong analytical skills, cross-functional leadership, and experience with ERP/MES systems. You will develop KPIs, dashboards, and drive data-driven decision making across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field.
• 3+ years of manufacturing, operations, engineering, or CI experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects.
• Experience leading CI Teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and Lean/Six Sigma projects.
• Conduct value stream mapping and process analysis.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and improvement workshops.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts.
• Manage improvement projects from concept through implementation.
• Optimize Daily Management, 5S, Ergonomics, Visual Management, Operator Training.
• Experience working in UAW environment.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Cross-functional leadership

Continuous improvement mindset

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Statistical analysis tools

Power BI

Job description

Position:Continuous Improvement Engineer

Location: Davenport, IA

Job Id:326

# of Openings:1

Position Summary

The Continuous Improvement Engineer is responsible for driving operational excellence initiatives that improve safety, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and cost performance throughout the organization.

Serves as a change agent and promotes a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and Lean/Six Sigma projects.
• Conduct value stream mapping and process analysis.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and improvement workshops.
• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts.
• Manage improvement projects from concept through implementation.
• Optimize Daily Management, 5S, Ergonomics, Visual Management, Operator Training
• Experience working in UAW Environment

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, or continuous improvement.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects.
• Experience leading CI Teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience with ERP/MES systems.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis tools.
• Experience in manufacturing or industrial environments.

Technical Skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Value Stream Mapping
• SPC
• Project Management
• Change Management
• Power BI

Success Measures and KPI's

• Reduction in manufacturing costs.
• Increased productivity and throughput.
• Improved product quality and reduced defects.
• Achievement of annual savings and improvement targets.
• Safety observations +30% or Near Misses Related to Housekeeping −50%
• 5S Audit score >90%
• Productivity +5% or Downtime Attributable to Basic Conditions −10%
• Employee Improvement Suggestions ≥2 per employee per year