Operational Excellence Engineer – Cross-Functional Impact

Baxter International Inc.; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 76,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage from day 1

401(k) plan with company match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Paid holidays and paid time off

Job summary

Baxter International Inc. in Deerfield, IL seeks an Operational Excellence Engineer to lead cross-functional teams and drive improvement projects across the site.

You will coordinate plans, manage timelines, and implement practical solutions to enhance performance and outcomes. You will apply Lean and Kaizen methodologies, conduct root-cause analyses, and ensure charters and action plans are completed on schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM required; Industrial Engineering preferred.
• 1+ years of experience in Operational Excellence, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Manufacturing, or related field.
• Strong organizational, leadership, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and lead without direct authority.
• Experience organizing projects, managing timelines, and coordinating work across multiple teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues and drive effective solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Preferred: Lean, Kaizen, root-cause analysis or other operational excellence methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams to achieve operational excellence and project objectives.
• Develop project plans, establish timelines, and monitor progress to ensure successful execution.
• Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Kaizen, BOS, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Drive accountability by ensuring teams complete improvement charters, action plans, and project deliverables on schedule.
• Conduct root-cause analyses and support implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Identify project risks and barriers, develop mitigation plans, and communicate status updates to stakeholders and leadership.
• Support process documentation, standardization efforts, and deployment of new operational solutions across the site.
• Serve as a key liaison between stakeholders, project teams, and leadership, providing regular communication on progress and outcomes.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project coordination

Problem-solving

Strong analytical skills

Lean / Kaizen

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM; Industrial Engineering preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Baxter International Inc. in Deerfield, IL seeks an Operational Excellence Engineer to lead cross-functional teams and drive improvement projects across the site.

You will coordinate plans, manage timelines, and implement practical solutions to enhance performance and outcomes. You will apply Lean and Kaizen methodologies, conduct root-cause analyses, and ensure charters and action plans are completed on schedule.