Production Engineer - Lean & Kaizen Specialist

BENTELER Group; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 780,000; Full time

Job summary

BENTELER Group, a global automotive supplier, seeks a Professional in Production to drive manufacturing excellence. You will oversee process capability, own key KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, cost, OEE, and scrap, and lead Lean manufacturing and Kaizen initiatives on multiple production lines.

This permanent role requires strong leadership, experience in automotive or manufacturing environments, and the ability to coach team leaders and operators on discipline.

Qualifications

• Qualification in Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial/Mechatronics engineering or equivalent.
• Experience in automotive or manufacturing environment.
• Ability to lead and drive teams to achieve results.
• Strong communication, initiative and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of health, safety, and environmental regulations in automotive.

Responsibilities

• Monitor process capability and efficiency across all production lines.
• Own manufacturing KPIs including Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, OEE, Availability, Performance and Scrap.
• Lead investigations of production losses and implement corrective actions.
• Establish recovery plans when targets are not achieved.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing standards and procedures.
• Implement best practices and reduce process variation across production areas.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen activities.
• Drive projects focused on productivity, scrap reduction and cost optimization.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving workshops using 8D, A3 and 5 Why.
• Track and report operational savings from improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate technical activities with Production, Maintenance, Quality and Logistics teams.
• Evaluate process risks and implement preventive actions.
• Act as the primary Operations representative during new product launches.
• Support plant expansion and equipment relocation projects.
• Support customer complaint investigations and containment activities.
• Lead cross-functional improvement teams.
• Coach team leaders and operators on process discipline.
• Follow BENTELER standards, procedures and Values

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

Analytical skills

Presentation skills

Computer literacy

HSE knowledge

Manufacturing experience

Automotive industry

Education

Engineering qualification

Job description

BENTELER Group, a global automotive supplier, seeks a Professional in Production to drive manufacturing excellence. You will oversee process capability, own key KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, cost, OEE, and scrap, and lead Lean manufacturing and Kaizen initiatives on multiple production lines.

This permanent role requires strong leadership, experience in automotive or manufacturing environments, and the ability to coach team leaders and operators on discipline.