Lean Manufacturing Engineer for NPI & Process Improvement

Itron; West Union (SC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Itron is seeking an Industrial Engineer to develop and optimize manufacturing methods for components and assemblies. You will partner with Manufacturing Engineering and cross-functional teams to support new product introductions, improve productivity, and establish labor standards across the plant.

The role emphasizes LEAN principles, data-driven problem solving, and continuous improvement to enhance safety, quality, delivery, and cost while supporting scalable manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 1+ year of relevant industrial or manufacturing engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of LEAN manufacturing and continuous-improvement principles, including methods such as 5S, kaizen, Gemba, time studies, and process-flow analysis.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, project-planning, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across Engineering, Operations, Quality, and other functions while maintaining accountability for project commitments and results.
• Agile mindset with the ability to manage changing priorities and respond to evolving production and customer requirements.
• Customer-centric approach to manufacturing improvement, with an understanding of how operational performance supports reliable delivery, quality, and value for customers in the Utilities & Energy sector.

Responsibilities

• Develop, establish, and maintain process cycle times, labor standards, work standard routings, and process times across manufacturing departments.
• Perform time studies and analyze manufacturing processes to establish accurate time standards and identify opportunities to improve productivity.
• Partner collaboratively with Manufacturing Engineering and other cross-functional teams to coordinate the release and implementation of new products through the NPI process.
• Estimate manufacturing costs and recommend tooling, equipment, staffing, and process requirements for new and existing product lines.
• Review and analyze existing production lines to determine the effective use of operators, equipment, and floor space using standard work, operator-in-motion analysis, and other industrial engineering methods.
• Identify and resolve manufacturing throughput constraints, including bottlenecks, inefficient process flows, and capacity limitations.
• Lead and support LEAN continuous-improvement activities, including kaizen events, Gemba walks, 5S initiatives, and manufacturing excellence assessments.
• Maintain and update the plant master layout as new equipment is installed or production lines are added, relocated, or modified.
• Create and maintain clear, accurate work instructions, process flow charts, manufacturing procedures, and related operational documentation.
• Prepare plans, schedules, project timelines, and budgets for manufacturing engineering activities and remain accountable for assigned deliverables.
• Develop and maintain accurate project timelines for new and existing manufacturing programs, adapting plans as business and customer requirements evolve.
• Identify, develop, and help execute factory cost-reduction and productivity-improvement projects.
• Recommend and implement innovative process improvements that enhance safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC) performance while supporting customer requirements.
• Maintain manufacturing records and reporting systems used to coordinate and evaluate manufacturing operations.
• Work authentically and collaboratively across Operations, Engineering, Quality, and other functions to identify issues, communicate recommendations, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Support a culture of continuous improvement by using data and structured problem-solving to improve manufacturing performance and responsiveness to internal and external customers.
• May provide day-to-day guidance or supervision to a co-op student.

Skills

LEAN manufacturing

Time studies

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile mindset

Process-flow analysis

Continuous-improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering

Tools

Gemba walks

5S program

Job description

Itron is seeking an Industrial Engineer to develop and optimize manufacturing methods for components and assemblies. You will partner with Manufacturing Engineering and cross-functional teams to support new product introductions, improve productivity, and establish labor standards across the plant.

The role emphasizes LEAN principles, data-driven problem solving, and continuous improvement to enhance safety, quality, delivery, and cost while supporting scalable manufacturing operations.