The Continuous Improvement (CI) Engineer is responsible to analyze, design, implement, and lead lean improvements to our manufacturing systems using Toyota Production System (TPS) principles and to coach team members on those principles.

Essential Responsibilities
• Uses observation and value stream mapping to understand processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and define improvement activities.
• Partners with and coaches others to help them successfully use TPS principles and sustain processes.
• Utilizes A3s and A3 thinking to understand problems, develop solutions based on TPS principles, drive implementation, and ensure sustainment.
• Leads and participates in Kaizen events and improvement efforts.
• Identifies and manages CI work to accomplish successful process handoffs
• Identifies, collects and analyzes relevant data for current state and improvements. Documents and communicates the results.
• Measures, documents, and communicates SQDC improvements for TPS activities.
• Delivers training on lean manufacturing and TPS principles and participates in sharing TPS activities and principles across the business unit and tour groups.

Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering or similar field
• 3+ years of experience in related field
• Demonstrated ability to understand and apply TPS principles
• Understanding of TPS concepts, including cycle time, takt time, capacity, lead time, single-piece-flow
• Experience leading small groups of peers
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong Microsoft Word and Excel skills
• Willingness to learn and a “seek to understand” approach
Additional Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
• Interest in learning about different operational processes and investigating improvement opportunities in those areas
• Practices a “go-and-see”, hands-on approach to understanding and problem solving
• Experience identifying improvement opportunities and leading Kaizen events
• Comfortable leading a Kaizen event with members from throughout the company
• Consistently shows respect and professionalism
• Willingness to work with people across functions and find solutions that are best from the overall business unit standpoint
• Engages others by seeking their input and facilitating the creation of a process that is accepted by all stakeholders
• Able to manage different viewpoints to create a positive atmosphere
• Able to hold others accountable and drive implementations that require actions from others
• Able to manage resistance from peers, supervisors or managers when implementing change
• Resilient in implementing change when encountering setbacks or obstacles
• Experience making process maps and value stream maps
• Experience with using A3 thinking and writing A3s
• Experience with data collection and analysis, including performance charting and Pareto charts
• Experience with pivot tables and Visibility MRP system
• Experience with production management tools, like standardized work documents, Hr x Hrs, countermeasure boards, SQDC kiosks and 5 Day Look Aheads.
• Experience facilitating problem solving activity
• Other duties as assigned

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work environment and physical demands is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment
• Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, kneel, read, listen, and speak.
• Manual dexterity using hands, fingers, and arms to push, pull, reach, grab, hold, and lift.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Regularly required to sit & stand for long periods of time.
• Frequent use of PC
• Near large equipment including forklifts and machine shop equipment
• May spend days in an environment requiring ear protection