Operational Excellence Engineer - Lean & Process Improvement

Sears Manufacturing Co.; Davenport (IA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Sears Seating in Davenport, IA is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to drive operational excellence across safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance. You will lead Lean/Six Sigma projects, map value streams, and facilitate Kaizen events to deliver measurable improvements.

You will develop KPIs and dashboards, perform root-cause analysis, and guide cross-functional teams through improvement initiatives, leveraging data-driven decision making to raise performance and engage the

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

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 thinking

Problem solving

Cross-functional leadership

CI team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial/Manufacturing/Operations

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Power BI

Job description

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.

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.
• Project Management experience.
  
  
  

Technical Skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Kaizen Facilitation
• Value Stream Mapping
• SPC
• Root Cause Analysis
• 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.
• Improved Employee Engagement.
• Safety observations +30% or Near Misses Related to Housekeeping −50%
• 5S Audit score >90%
• Productivity +5% or Downtime Attributable to Basic Conditions −10%
• Walking Distance per Operator −20%
• Employee Improvement Suggestions ≥2 per employee per year