OPEX Project Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage start day

401(k) with company match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Paid holidays and paid time off 20–35 

Discretionary bonuses eligibility

Job summary

Baxter Healthcare in Deerfield, IL is seeking an Operational Excellence Engineer to lead cross-functional teams, manage project timelines, and drive operational improvements across the site. You will apply Lean, Kaizen, and Baxter Operating System (BOS) methodologies to develop plans, track progress, and deliver measurable results while coordinating with stakeholders and leadership.

Bachelor’s degree in STEM and 1+ years of related experience preferred; strong communication and problem-solving

Qualifications

• 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.

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, 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.

Skills

Organizational skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Project coordination

Timeline management

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

MS Office

Lean

Kaizen

Root-cause analysis

Baxter Operating System (BOS)

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Industrial Engineering preferred

Tools

Lean

Kaizen

Root-cause analysis

Baxter Operating System (BOS)

Structured problem-solving

Job description

This is whereyour 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)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees.

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.

1 Baxter Parkway|Deerfield, IL 60015|United States of America