Continuous Improvement Engineer

Standard Motor Products, Inc.; Shawnee (KS); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SMP, Inc. is seeking a Senior Project Manager/Industrial Engineer to lead cross-functional, engineering-driven continuous improvement initiatives at the Lewisville Distribution Center.

You will employ Lean Six Sigma, stage-gate governance, and engineered labor standards to drive measurable safety, quality, service, cost, and productivity gains. You will collaborate with DC leadership, Finance, HR, IT, and operations to optimize workflows, labor utilization, material flow, and capacity, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years of progressive experience in PM, IE, CI, or ops engineering.
• Lean Six Sigma methodology and structured problem-solving in operations.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects with scope, cost, risk, and change management.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from intake to post-implementation review.
• Define objectives, scope, milestones, budgets, and success criteria.
• Maintain integrated plans, risk/issue logs, and status reports.
• Lead cross-functional teams and establish ownership and timelines.
• Communicate status, risks, and decisions to leadership.
• Drive improvements in labor, material flow, and capacity.
• Develop business cases, cost estimates, and ROI analyses.
• Coordinate readiness and handoff to process owners.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional teamwork

Lean Six Sigma

Data analysis

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Excel

WMS/ERP systems

SQL/ VBA

Job description

POSITION PURPOSE

Lead complex, cross-functional projects and engineering-driven continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, capacity, and scalability across SMP, Inc.’s Lewisville Distribution Center. This role integrates disciplined project management, industrial engineering, Lean Six Sigma methodology, stage-gate governance, engineered labor standards, and financial analysis to translate business needs into practical solutions, controlled execution, and measurable operational and financial results.

The position partners with distribution center leadership, operations, Finance, Human Resources, IT, and other functional stakeholders to optimize workflows, labor utilization, material flow, facility capacity, systems, and standard work. The role is accountable for establishing project priorities, evaluating business cases, managing implementation risks, validating benefits, and ensuring improvements are adopted and sustained.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Project Management and Governance

• Lead projects from intake and charter development through planning, execution, monitoring, control, implementation, handoff, and post-implementation review.
• Define project objectives, scope, requirements, deliverables, milestones, dependencies, acceptance criteria, budgets, resources, and success measures.
• Maintain integrated project plans, schedules, decision logs, risk and issue registers, action registers, change controls, and status reports.
• Lead cross-functional project teams and establish clear ownership for deliverables, decisions, deadlines, dependencies, and escalations.
• Communicate project status, financial outlook, risks, constraints, tradeoffs, and decisions required to site and functional leadership.
• Manage project scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, procurement, stakeholder engagement, and change throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate project priorities and resource requirements with operational leaders to balance improvement initiatives with daily distribution center demands.

2. Industrial Engineering and Operational Analysis

• Analyze distribution center processes using engineering, financial, logistics, operational, and workforce-related principles to identify performance gaps and develop effective solutions.
• Review employee, department, and process productivity; partner with operations leaders to identify root causes, establish performance targets, and implement corrective action plans.
• Conduct time studies, work measurement, labor analysis, data collection, workflow studies, and productivity assessments to identify opportunities for improved efficiency and accuracy.
• Develop, evaluate, and maintain engineered labor standards and performance measurement methods, as appropriate to operational needs.
• Study the sequence of operations, process flow, staffing requirements, facility utilization, and resource allocation to identify opportunities for improved throughput and reduced waste.
• Evaluate labor utilization, capacity constraints, workload balance, process variation, and operational bottlenecks; recommend data-driven solutions.
• Develop daily, weekly, and annual operational analyses and plans to support productivity, capacity, staffing, and performance objectives.
• Use data analysis and appropriate engineering tools to quantify current-state performance, establish baselines, and measure improvement opportunities.

3. Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement

• Apply Lean principles and Six Sigma problem-solving techniques to improve customer value, eliminate waste, reduce variation, improve process flow, and strengthen operational performance.
• Facilitate current-state and future-state assessments, process mapping, root-cause analysis, Kaizen events, 5S, visual management, standard work, and mistake-proofing, as appropriate.
• Identify, develop, document, and implement best practices and standard operating procedures that improve efficiency, consistency, accuracy, and service.
• Partner with operations leaders and frontline associates to ensure proposed improvements are practical, understood, implemented, and sustained.
• Establish measurable performance baselines and improvement targets before implementation; validate outcomes after implementation.
• Develop control plans, performance measures, and ownership structures to sustain improvements and prevent regression.
• Recommend and implement methods to maximize the utilization of facilities, equipment, labor, and other operational resources.
• Support training and change management to ensure associates and process owners understand revised procedures, performance expectations, and standard work.

4. Financial Analysis and Business Results

• Develop and maintain project business cases with Finance and functional partners, including capital expenditures, one-time costs, recurring expenses, labor impacts, productivity, inventory, service, and risk considerations.
• Prepare project cost estimates, financial forecasts, and return-on-investment analyses to support operational and capital investment decisions.
• Evaluate the potential impact of proposed changes on operating expenses, margin, cash flow, working capital, labor costs, and profit-and-loss performance, as applicable.
• Quantify the financial and operational impact of process changes, facility improvements, equipment investments, systems implementations, and productivity initiatives.
• Track actual versus forecast spending and benefits; identify variances, corrective actions, payback implications, and benefit-realization risks.
• Partner with Finance and accountable business owners to validate realized savings, productivity gains, and other operational and financial benefits.
• Communicate project performance and business outcomes using clear, supportable financial and non-financial measures.

5. Distribution Center Process, Systems, and Capacity Improvement

• Lead improvement initiatives involving warehouse processes, facility layout, slotting, material flow, labor planning, equipment, inventory accuracy, safety, quality, and customer service.
• Evaluate and recommend material-handling solutions, warehouse systems, information systems, automation, and operational tools that improve distribution performance.
• Assess facility and process capacity, identify constraints, and develop recommendations to improve throughput, scalability, space utilization, and resource efficiency.
• Partner with Operations, IT, Engineering, Finance, and other stakeholders to evaluate system functionality, process requirements, implementation readiness, and expected benefits.
• Support projects involving warehouse management systems (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, voice-based picking, material-handling equipment, automation, and facility modifications, as applicable.
• Ensure project designs and implementations meet company policies, applicable safety and environmental standards, quality requirements, and operational expectations.
• Coordinate operational readiness, associate training, documentation, cutover, stabilization, and transition of implemented solutions to designated process owners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in project management, industrial engineering, continuous improvement, operations engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects and managing scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality, resources, communications, stakeholders, and change.
• Demonstrated experience applying Lean Six Sigma methodology and structured problem-solving techniques in an operational environment.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification or higher.
• Experience conducting time studies, work measurement, engineering standards development, productivity analysis, and operational data collection.
• Experience analyzing labor utilization, workflow, process performance, and resource requirements to develop measurable improvement opportunities.
• Ability to develop project cost estimates, business cases, capital investment analyses, and return-on-investment calculations.
• Understanding of financial and operational performance measures, including productivity, labor cost, operating expenses, capacity, inventory, service, and benefit realization.
• Experience developing and implementing standard operating procedures, process controls, and sustainable continuous improvement practices.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications; proficiency with project management and data analysis tools.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, written communication, verbal communication, presentation, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across organizational levels and with internal and external partners.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven distribution environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or comparable project management credential.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Experience in warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, automotive aftermarket, or supply chain operations.
• Experience developing, implementing, or maintaining engineered labor standards in a warehouse or distribution environment.
• Experience with warehouse management systems (WMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, voice-based picking, material-handling systems, warehouse automation, and facility modifications.
• Experience with capital projects, equipment selection, layout design, capacity planning, and operational technology implementations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Access, AutoCAD, SQL, VBA, macros, or comparable analytical and engineering tools.
• Experience using data-driven performance management, labor planning, and productivity measurement systems.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to work effectively in an active distribution center and adjust working hours as project implementations, operational requirements, or business needs require.
• Ability to regularly or occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, as required by the position.
• Visual abilities required may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• The work environment typically has low to moderate noise levels.
• Ability to work safely in an operational environment and comply with applicable safety requirements.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrates integrity, ownership, accountability, sound judgment, urgency, teamwork, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Maintains professional working relationships and communicates effectively with associates, leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in responding to changing business priorities and operational requirements.
• Performs other related duties and projects as assigned.

POSITION DESCRIPTION DISCLAIMER

This description reflects the general duties, responsibilities, and qualifications of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may be modified as business needs change.

Final job title, classification, reporting relationship, physical requirements, compensation range, and applicable equal employment opportunity language should be reviewed and approved by Human Resources.