
Senior Process Improvement Engineer (2nd shift)
- Louisville, KY
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Own all equipment and tooling in the production area, from Advanced Mfg Engineer (AME) sign-off and forward.
- Serve as the primary troubleshooting resource for the process in the plant.
- Consult with maintenance staff on equipment repair.
- Monitor and work to improve Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), especially availability, in the area.
- Drive TPM checklist completion and learnings to correct and prevent potential quality and downtime issues.
- Recommend equipment and tooling for existing process; consult and sign-off on new purchases when applicable.
- Consult with Maintenance Business Leader on the maintenance action item list and/or priorities for the area.
- Monitor and ensure the calibration of all equipment.
- Ensure compliance of the equipment and the manufactured product.
- Provide feedback on equipment specifications (Gray Book content) based upon best practices and lessons learned.
- Develop controlmen on startup, running, and shutdown procedures. Teach them parameters they can use to improve quality and throughput.
- Partner with plant TPM, ME, and AME teams to implement and maintain a robust TPM plan for all equipment.
- Improve and direct Preventive Maintenance plan for assigned area.
- Root cause based troubleshooting to understand and correct safety, quality, and delivery issues with the equipment.
- Work with maintenance and Manufacturing Engineers to correct common cause issues.
- Support all plant priorities in the areas of EHS, Schedule Attainment, Spoilage & Yield, Labor & Overtime, Productivity, Spare Parts cost controls and Lean Manufacturing.
- Execute routine equipment purchases, to include presenting justification for capital expenses or process improvements, design and specification of equipment and standardization of equipment within manufacturing methods and safety requirements.
- Provide training and aid in trouble-shooting and downtime response in specified area of expertise.
- Steer up-time and equipment reliability improvements through simplification activities.
- Develop and guide cross functional projects with other departments and suppliers to make entire supply chain more robust, driving OEE.
- Engage in and lead problem-solving for production area.
- Lead root cause identification of problems, implement appropriate countermeasures, and share across as best practice (yokoten).
- Partner with Plant Operations personnel to promote and support a team that reacts aggressively to factory inefficiencies.
- Work cross-functionally with Team Leaders, Kaizen Promotion Officers, Business Leaders and Lean resources on short term and long term improvement initiatives.
- Implement related countermeasures on manufacturing line(s) (kaizen activities).
- Implement Poka-Yoke work methods, and develop workstation aids to assist in operator job performance.
- Support the Team and Business Leaders in the planning and execution of work area rebalancing utilizing Yamazumi charts.
- Support Business Leader by identifying and implementing safety-related corrective actions and improvements for the area.
- Assist with action item completion for the area's safety action item list, including corrective actions from near misses, accident reports & ergo assessments.
- Coordinate with AME on equipment purchases & qualification.
- Provide the "voice of the plant", giving feedback on lessons learned and plant preferences.
- Review product prototypes and concepts for manufacturability.
- Provide feedback to the NPI team on capacity, impact on operator and process stability/sustainability.
- Interface with vendors and OEM suppliers, along with Facilities Engineer, to learn maintenance requirements and equipment troubleshooting. Distribute information and knowledge.
- Update manufacturing control documents, floor & workstation layouts. Work with Team Leaders on Standard Work and Job Instruction creation.
- Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree with technical degree required (or equivalent experience.)
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in Manufacturing Engineering/Operations/Quality support roles or equivalent military experience.
- Minimum of 2 years or more leadership experience in manufacturing operations, preferably unionized operations.
- Must have flexibility to work different shift
- Knowledge of Appliances manufacturing processes.
- Experience in Thermoforming and Extrusion
- Experience in PLC Controls, Fanuc robots, end of arm tooling, PMs, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatics and welding techniques.
- Experience and training in lean manufacturing practices.
- Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
- Program Management skills.
- Demonstrated experience in troubleshooting high volume manufacturing equipment.
- Proven ability to influence and drive change.
- Experience in high volume manufacturing environment.
- Experience in material flow.
- Solid verbal/written communication skills coupled with strong interpersonal skills.
- Advanced computer skills - high proficiency in Microsoft products (especially Excel) and ability to grasp new systems quickly.
- Strong project management and analytical/problem solving skills with demonstrated ability to scope and analyze cross-functional problems to generate/implement solutions.
- Must have experience applying time studies and/or standard work.
- Ability to adapt to and juggle changing and competing priorities.
- Early and/or late hours often required to work around the manufacturing schedule / timing.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment with both hourly and salary personnel to meet the needs of operators, the program and the business.
- High initiative, self-starter, proactive, dedicated, results oriented, a team player.
- Working conditions are normal for both an office and manufacturing environment.
- Work may involve lifting of materials and product up to 25 pounds.
- Working in the manufacturing environment requires the use of safety equipment to include but not limited to: safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, work shoes/boots.
- Work may require occasional weekend and/or evening work.
- Travel may be required for domestic and/or international travel to other sites/plants, etc.