Continuous Improvement Engineer
Appvion · Wisconsin, United States · 1 mo ago
On-siteManagementFull-time
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field preferred.
- Minimum of 3 years of manufacturing experience with demonstrated success leading process improvement initiatives.
- Experience in Lean Manufacturing, operational excellence, or continuous improvement environments preferred.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and work effectively with shop floor employees and frontline leadership.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, along with statistical and operational analysis tools such as Minitab.
- Up to 10% travel required.
Operational Excellence
- Analyze operational data to identify process gaps, determine root causes, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, throughput, scrap reduction, downtime reduction, machine reliability, and cost savings.
- Improve manufacturing performance through Lean Manufacturing and structured problem-solving methodologies including DMAIC, Kaizen, 8D, 5 Whys, FMEA, and SPC.
- Develop, implement, and sustain standardized work, visual management systems, and operational best practices.
- Support process optimization, equipment performance improvements, and new product introductions while maintaining quality and customer expectations.
- Manage and prioritize a continuous improvement project pipeline aligned with business objectives and operational priorities.
- Track, measure, and communicate the effectiveness of improvement initiatives through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), dashboards, and performance reporting.
- Lead projects from concept through implementation while ensuring safety compliance, timeline execution, budget adherence, and expected financial return.
- Share and standardize successful operational practices across departments, shifts, and sites to improve consistency and accelerate continuous improvement adoption.
Organizational Development
- Integrate safety into all improvement initiatives while developing and sustaining standardized work that supports safe, efficient, and repeatable operations.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement through structured problem solving, visual management, and data-driven decision making.
- Build strong working relationships with shop floor employees, frontline leadership, and cross-functional teams to drive engagement, accountability, and operational improvements.
- Partner effectively with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Technology teams to support collaboration, communication, and alignment across the organization.
- Support leadership development by influencing teams, facilitating change, and promoting employee involvement in continuous improvement activities.