Senior CI Engineer - Lean, Automation & Kaizen

American-Air-Filter; Washington; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AAF International is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to serve as a process SME for manufacturing operations, leading the shift toward a Lean culture and sustaining improvements through lean manufacturing, structured problem solving, data-driven analysis, collaboration, and automation with ROI justification.

You will drive DMAIC/PDCA-based improvements, apply 5S, Kanban, Takt time, line balancing, and work cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Experience owning manufacturing processes and supporting process control and sustainment.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and tools.
• Understanding of industrial automation and its application to manufacturing improvement.
• Experience developing or supporting ROI and cost justification for improvement or capital projects.
• Effective communication skills and comfort working cross-functionally.
• Ability to support cultural change while balancing data-driven analysis and practical problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a process subject matter expert for assigned manufacturing processes, understanding process flow, capability, constraints, and risks.
• Lead efforts to bring processes into statistical control and sustain gains using standard work, control plans, SPC, and visual management.
• Recommend and implement improvements to production processes, methods, and controls.
• Apply analytical and creative thinking to solve manufacturing problems and improve performance.
• Lead, support, and facilitate the ongoing shift toward a Lean culture across the organization.
• Act as a coach and change agent by helping teams understand why Lean practices are used, not just how.
• Encourage employee engagement and ownership of continuous improvement at all levels.
• Partner with leaders and teams to reinforce Lean behaviors, standard work, and continuous improvement routines.
• Help embed Lean thinking into daily management systems and decision-making.
• Utilize at least one structured problem-solving methodology, such as: DMAIC, PDCA, Shainin Red X.
• Define problems clearly, identify and validate root causes, implement effective solutions, and establish controls to sustain results.
• Support team-based problem-solving activities and knowledge sharing.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles and tools, including: 5S and visual workplace; Kaizen activities and events; Standard work; Kanban and pull systems; Takt time analysis, line balancing, and line pacing; Waste identification and elimination.
• Facilitate and participate in cross-functional Kaizen events, recognizing the value of collaboration across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain.
• Support continuous improvement through hands-on involvement in shop-floor activities.
• Plan, design, implement, and improve manufacturing systems that support performance, reliability, maintainability, schedule adherence, and cost control.
• Establish methods, equipment, and layouts for direct and indirect labor using time studies and predetermined time systems (e.g., MTM).

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Structured problem solving

Statistical control

Data-driven analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering

Tools

MTM

Job description

AAF International is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to serve as a process SME for manufacturing operations, leading the shift toward a Lean culture and sustaining improvements through lean manufacturing, structured problem solving, data-driven analysis, collaboration, and automation with ROI justification.

You will drive DMAIC/PDCA-based improvements, apply 5S, Kanban, Takt time, line balancing, and work cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply