OPEX Project Engineer

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

This is where your work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Your role at Baxter

As an Operational Excellence Engineer, you will support improvement projects across Baxter's Deerfield site by leading cross-functional teams, managing project timelines, and helping solve operational challenges. You will work with team members across the business to identify improvement opportunities, facilitate problem-solving activities, and ensure projects stay on track and deliver results. Success in this role will come from your ability to coordinate teams, drive project completion, improve processes, and implement practical solutions that enhance site performance.

What you'll be doing

• 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, Baxter Operating System (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 to prevent recurrence of issues.
• 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.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline required; Industrial Engineering preferred.
• 1+ years of experience in Operational Excellence, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Manufacturing, or a 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, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Preferred: Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives and utilizing Lean, Kaizen, root-cause analysis, or other operational excellence methodologies.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $76,000 - $104,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

• medical and dental coverage that start on day one
• insurance coverage for basic life
• accident
• short-term
• long-term disability
• business travel accident insurance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• educational assistance programs
• paid holidays
• paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service
• family and medical leaves of absence
• paid parental leave
• commuting benefits
• Employee Discount Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• childcare benefits

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.