Senior Manufacturing & Process Improvement Engineer

WTL Wheatland Tube, LLC; Rochelle (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

Tuition assistance program

Bonus plan

401(k) plan with generous companymatch

Immediate vesting

Job summary

Zekelman Industries is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Optimization Engineer to oversee process improvements across a steel manufacturing plant in Illinois. You will lead lean initiatives, ensure safety, drive up equipment uptime, and mentor maintenance teams while coordinating capital projects.

The role requires a mechanical/industrial/manufacturing engineering degree, Lean/Six Sigma or PMP certification, and 5+ years in steel with capital project management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical/industrial/manufacturing engineering or related field.
• Lean Six Sigma or PMP certification preferred.
• 5+ years industrial experience in the steel industry; large capital projects preferred.
• Experience working with vendors and government agencies preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leads and promotes healthy and safe work practices as required by regulatory agencies and Company policy
• Drives production efficiencies and equipment uptime through upgrades, tooling improvements, and process improvements
• Analyzes and plans production workflows, equipment placement, and space utilization to improve overall manufacturing efficiency
• Coordinates maintenance and repair activities to ensure all work follows manufacturer procedures and instructions, maintaining safe, efficient, and fully operational production equipment
• Identifies and executes plant capital projects
• Assists Operations, Maintenance and Engineering teams in evaluating lean manufacturing initiatives to strengthen safety performance, improve production flow, reduce cycle times, and drive ongoing process improvement
• Analyzes equipment downtime data to identify failure trends and prioritize improvement actions
• Conduct Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify potential failure points, assess risk, and drive corrective actions
• Conducts root cause analysis to identify underlying failure mechanisms, validate corrective actions, and prevent recurrence of equipment, process, or quality issues
• Ensures critical spares are properly identified, stocked, and readily available to support timely equipment repairs and proactive rebuilds
• Provides technical guidance and mentorship on the operation and maintenance of plant equipment
• Performs other duties as they might be assigned
• Regular and predictable, full-time, on-site attendance during scheduled hours

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Statistical analysis

MS Office Suite

Communication skills

Planning & prioritization

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

Lean Six Sigma or PMP certification

5+ years steel industry experience; large capital projects

Vendor/government experience

Tools

Barcoding management

Project management software

Internal business application systems

Job description

Zekelman Industries is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Optimization Engineer to oversee process improvements across a steel manufacturing plant in Illinois. You will lead lean initiatives, ensure safety, drive up equipment uptime, and mentor maintenance teams while coordinating capital projects.

The role requires a mechanical/industrial/manufacturing engineering degree, Lean/Six Sigma or PMP certification, and 5+ years in steel with capital project management.