Lean Manufacturing Engineer V.I.E

About the Company

Faurecia is one of the world’s top ten automotive suppliers, with 248 industrial sites, 37 R&D centers, and 100,000 employees in 37 countries. The company develops cutting-edge solutions for smart life on board and sustainable mobility, focusing on Seating, Clean Mobility, Interiors, and Clarion Electronics. Faurecia works with manufacturers to design innovations that meet society’s new expectations in environment, connectivity, and autonomous driving.

About the Program

Faurecia’s VIE Program is an international young graduate program for individuals from the European Economic Area (EU + Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland) aged between 18 and 28. Participants work for one of Faurecia’s subsidiaries worldwide, with administrative support from Business France. Note: Applicants cannot perform a VIE in their country of citizenship, and applications must be submitted in English.

About the Role

The Lean Manufacturing Engineer at the Faurecia Interior Systems (FIS) plant in Blue Springs, Missouri, will maximize plant performance and profitability by applying the Faurecia Excellence System (FES) operating principles, with a focus on direct labor efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Develop the site and department Annual Improvement/FES Acceleration Plans in coordination with the management team.
• Participate in Plant MOD cost budget construction and achievement through efficient MOD cost management and improvement plans.
• Follow up on the FES deployment plan to support the Plant Improvement Plan (PIP) execution.
• Ensure understanding of FES KPIs and their link to P&L results to prioritize the FES plan effectively.
• Contribute to the application of FES Principles in Programs from the design stage, including lean process design, MIFD, equipment validation, cardboard workshop activities, Standardized Work, OHP, process layout, and packaging.
• Support the construction and adherence of Standardized Work and development of OHP (primarily GAP Leader and Supervisor roles and routines).
• Implement FES improvement tools for production reliability, changeover standards (flexibility), reduction of line stoppages, line balancing, and overall MOD efficiency.
• Support the FES&P Manager in applying FES methodologies and tools through active participation on the shop floor.
• Transfer FES knowledge and experience to plant personnel through shop floor improvement activities.
• Drive teamwork and problem-solving activities, leading Production Solving Groups and workshops (5S, Hoshin, TPM, SMED, 8 Quality Basics, Improvement Ideas, HSE, etc.).
• Contribute to lead time reduction through continuous flow implementation, layout optimization, pull-system, and flow speed-up by coaching and/or leading FES/Lean principles workshops.
• Ensure adherence to safety instructions, policies, and procedures.
• Support commitments established in the ISO 14001 Environmental Policy.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in engineering or business.
• Experience in production within an industrial environment.
• Knowledge of quality matters.
• International mindset; overseas experience is a plus.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills.
• Proficiency in English.
• Results-oriented with an entrepreneurship mindset.
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards and adherence to Faurecia’s Code of Ethics and Code of Management.

Leadership Competencies

• Cultivates Innovation
• Manages Ambiguity
• Manages Complexity
• Customer Focus
• Drives Results
• Optimizes Work Processes
• Learning Agility
• Political Savvy
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness
• Collaborates with Others
• Instills Trust