Staff Continuous Improvement Engineer

Stryker; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 89,000 - 149,000; Full time

Job summary

Stryker in Kalamazoo, MI seeks a Staff Continuous Improvement Engineer to drive lean transformation in a regulated medical device manufacturing environment. You will evaluate value streams, lead improvement initiatives, and partner with cross‑functional teams to enhance production performance and flow.

You will blend hands‑on execution with strategic continuous improvement planning, deliver training, mentor staff, and quantify cost savings from CI projects, supporting overall operational

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2+ years of experience in continuous improvement, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, operations, or a related field.
• Minimum 4 years of experience leading or supporting process improvement, productivity, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience using lean manufacturing tools and methodologies in a manufacturing environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (preferred).
• Lean Manufacturing Certification (preferred).
• Experience working in a regulated industry such as medical device or pharmaceutical (preferred).
• Experience leading value stream mapping, waste reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate value stream mapping workshops and continuous improvement events to identify waste and improve operational performance.
• Develop and implement future-state manufacturing processes that improve flow, efficiency, and resource utilization.
• Analyze production performance and execute initiatives that improve productivity, throughput, and operational effectiveness.
• Monitor and improve key lean manufacturing metrics, including lead time, changeover time, inventory levels, and process flow.
• Design and optimize material and product flow systems between manufacturing work cells.
• Partner with Finance to quantify, track, and validate cost savings generated through continuous improvement projects.
• Investigate process issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Deliver lean manufacturing training, mentor employees on continuous improvement principles, and support adoption of standardized processes.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Process improvement

Manufacturing engineering

Industrial engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Join a manufacturing team focused on optimizing production performance, operational efficiency, and lean transformation. As a Staff Continuous Improvement Engineer, you will evaluate value streams, lead improvement initiatives, and partner with cross‑functional teams to enhance manufacturing processes, productivity, and flow across a regulated medical device environment. This role combines hands‑on execution with strategic continuous improvement planning to support operational excellence.

What You Will Do

• Lead and facilitate value stream mapping workshops and continuous improvement events to identify waste and improve operational performance.
• Develop and implement future‑state manufacturing processes that improve flow, efficiency, and resource utilization.
• Analyze production performance and execute initiatives that improve productivity, throughput, and operational effectiveness.
• Monitor and improve key lean manufacturing metrics, including lead time, changeover time, inventory levels, and process flow.
• Design and optimize material and product flow systems between manufacturing work cells.
• Partner with Finance to quantify, track, and validate cost savings generated through continuous improvement projects.
• Investigate process issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Deliver lean manufacturing training, mentor employees on continuous improvement principles, and support adoption of standardized processes.

What You Will Need

Required

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in continuous improvement, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, operations, or a related field.
• Minimum 4 years of experience leading or supporting process improvement, productivity, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience using lean manufacturing tools and methodologies in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Lean Manufacturing Certification.
• Experience working in a highly regulated industry, such as medical device, pharmaceutical, aerospace, or similar.
• Experience leading value stream mapping, waste reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives.

United States of America Pay Ranges:

$89,300 - $148,800 USD Annual