Continuous Improvement Engineer
Actalent · Irvine, CA · Today
On-siteManagement$50/hrContract
About the role
A leading organization in the medical device industry is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to drive operational excellence across manufacturing and business operations.
Responsibilities
- Support assigned product lines and functional groups in achieving their operational performance objectives.
- Participate in KPI review meetings with Product Line Leaders and department leadership to assess performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Analyze operational and manufacturing data to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and performance gaps.
- Conduct statistical analysis and root cause investigations to develop corrective actions and process improvements.
- Facilitate continuous improvement initiatives ranging from focused improvement activities and smaller kaizen events to larger cross-functional improvement projects.
- Partner with Operations, Quality, Laboratory, Manufacturing Engineering, and other support organizations to drive sustainable process improvements.
- Monitor and measure improvement initiatives to ensure long-term effectiveness and alignment with business objectives.
- Communicate project updates, findings, and recommendations clearly and effectively to stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization.
- Utilize SAP and other systems to gather, interpret, and report operational and manufacturing performance data.
- Perform time studies and analyze manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for process improvement and efficiency gains.
- Support the management and reduction of nonconforming product through analysis of nonconformance reports and quality data.
- Assist in the development, documentation, and standardization of improved processes and work practices.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, or another technical discipline.
- 3–5 years of professional experience in manufacturing, process improvement, operational excellence, continuous improvement, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a related field.
- Experience analyzing manufacturing or operational performance data and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
- Experience working within cross-functional teams in a manufacturing environment.
- Effective communication and project coordination skills, with the ability to present findings and recommendations to stakeholders.
- Hands-on experience with Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or operational excellence initiatives.
- Experience with Six Sigma tools and methodologies, preferably at a Green Belt level or equivalent.
- Proficiency in data analysis, including the use of Excel pivot tables and other analytical tools.
- Experience working in medical device, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Familiarity with SAP or similar enterprise systems used in manufacturing operations.
- Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing operations and understanding of associated challenges.
- Knowledge of process engineering or manufacturing engineering principles applied in a production environment.
Qualifications
- Experience within medical device, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, and related methodologies.
- Experience facilitating or actively participating in kaizen events and structured process improvement initiatives.
- Background in medical device or pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and quality requirements.
- Hands-on experience with Six Sigma tools and approaches, including Green Belt-level projects.
- Familiarity with time studies and work measurement techniques to assess and improve productivity.
- Experience working with automated or semi-automated production environments.
- Knowledge of statistical analysis tools and process performance metrics used to monitor and control manufacturing processes.
- Experience working with nonconforming product data and nonconformance reports to drive quality improvements.
- Understanding of key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, delivery, and cost, and how to influence them through process improvements.
- Ability to collaborate with quality, operations, engineering, and laboratory teams to align improvement initiatives with regulatory and quality standards.