Lean Six Sigma Black Belt - Casa Grande, AZ

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Casa Grande, Arizona location in the Abbott Nutrition division. Our Nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure®, and Glucerna® – to help them get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest lives.

Casa Grande, AZ, is one of Abbott’s leading nutrition manufacturing plants in the U.S., reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellence. But we’re more than just a company, we’re a family. Working here you’ll be part of a family that works together to make a difference and enhance the lives of millions worldwide.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional DMAIC projects with significant financial and operational impact
• Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities aligned with site strategy
• This includes identification of opportunities, definition of done and financial justification of projects, stakeholder management, change management, project team resource management, overall project/program management, lead teams to execute projects with sound problem solving methodology, track project and program status and results, remove and elevate project barriers, and develop team members
• Serve as a change agent, driving a culture of continuous improvement and accountability
• Identify integration points across the project value stream projects/processes and coordinate the improvements with key stakeholders and process owners to maximize project/program value delivery
• Manage the development and maintenance of methods and enabling systems (including governance, organizational structures, processes and tools) that accurately demonstrate the degree to which the project/program goals, objectives and metrics are being met
• Recruit experts, advocates and team members into the Operational Excellence organization, and ensure continuing development of their skills
• Utilize statistical analysis and problem-solving tools to identify root causes
• Apply Lean tools (e.g., value stream mapping, Yamazumi diagrams, standard work, 5S) to optimize workflows
• Analyze production data to improve throughput, reduce cycle time, and enhance labor efficiency
• Support labor balancing, line design, and capacity optimization initiatives
• Improve OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) through waste reduction and downtime mitigation
• Lead Kaizen events and rapid improvement workshops
• Provide thorough stakeholder management and change management – this includes keeping the project sponsor, plant management, and site personnel informed of project status (deliverables, milestones, overall timeline, etc.) including Project Management Office (PMO) updates
• Best Practice Sharing: This position will drive replication of applicable best practices and learnings across sites, organizations and the division functions

Key Deliverables / KPIs

• Project savings (cost reduction, productivity gains, waste elimination)
• Improvement in OEE, yield, and cycle time
• Reduction in defects, rework, and scrap
• Labor productivity and line balancing improvements
• Meeting project deliverables and milestones on or ahead of schedule

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science or closely related discipline
• Possesses a working technical knowledge and application of concepts, practices, and procedures within engineering discipline
• Possesses Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification (required training and corresponding project completion)