Position Summary
The Continuous Improvement Engineer initiates and directs process and continuous improvement projects at an aluminum extrusion facility to reduce material waste, improve product and process quality, increase production line productivity, and drive cost improvements. This role routinely interacts with all levels of plant and division staff through events, meetings, reviews, and daily improvement activities, and requires a hands on, daily presence on the production floor to implement and sustain systematic improvement.
Responsibilities
- Perform continuous improvement and process engineering duties for extrusion lines and supporting equipment, including product development, best practices, competitive technology, workstation design, and implementing and sustaining 6S principles
- Develop and improve manufacturing processes (recipes) for new and existing products to achieve optimum extrusion productivity and yield
- Review and analyze profiles, specifications, and standards to determine extrusion feasibility
- Partner with plant operational staff on implementing, growing, and sustaining business processes
- Support and train operators in the fundamentals of the extrusion process
- Develop all necessary process and audit documentation, such as FMEAs, Control Plans, Capability Studies, Balanced Line Capacity Models, and Flow Analysis
- Monitor progress, assist with questions, and develop corrective actions to ensure system processes are maintained and continuous improvement is sustained
- Assess existing processes for improvement using Lean Manufacturing concepts (Kaizen, TPM, Value Stream Mapping), Six Sigma, designed experiments, and capability studies
- Develop systems to monitor and measure facility performance, align scorecards with plant strategic goals, and maintain action plans for facility KPIs
- Conduct and analyze trials to support new products and problem solving, and interpret failure data and tests to identify material issues
- Work closely with Sales, Manufacturing, Die Shop, and Quality departments
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of experience and education
- 5 to 10 years of manufacturing experience in process or manufacturing engineering preferred
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing concepts
- Knowledge of MS Office applications required
Physical Demands
- Regularly stand and use hands to handle or feel
- Frequently reach with hands and arms; occasionally walk
- Occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds
- Close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus
See more aluminum jobs
