Continuous Improvement Leader - Engineer III

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The Continuous Improvement Leader, under the direction of designated Site Manager using established procedures, will provide continuous improvement engineering leadership and guidance in areas of process control, cost (yield and labor efficiency) improvement, product quality improvement, and cycle time reduction. The Continuous Improvement Leader will provide leadership, coaching, and guidance to peer engineers in Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC problem solving methodologies including the proposal, creation, and improvement upon training and development content for Engineering and Operations. Additional responsibilities will be investigation and proposal of new procedures and methods to automate, improve, and/or scale-up existing processes. The Continuous Improvement Leader will work with operators, engineering, maintenance, quality, management, R&D, and production planning to accomplish these tasks.

You will have the opportunity to:

Safety & Quality Management System:

• Comply with, support, and provide technical input to all EH&S and quality programs, trainings, and policies while operating in a safe, honest, and ethical manner

Process Control & Continuous Improvement:

• Partner with Process Engineering, Operations, and Quality Engineering to identify, define, and financially vet specific continuous improvement and cost improvement projects to achieve divisional and site goals. This will include routine time observing manufacturing activities and meeting with operators to discuss opportunities
• Lead cross-facility and cross-functional project teams through the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) phases of the problem-solving process
• Utilizing statistical process control methodologies, ensure the sustainability of continuous improvement efforts by identifying critical process metrics, implementing process control systems, and authoring standard operating procedures
• Identify and remove barriers that slow or prevent the successful attainment of process yield, cycle time, defect reduction, inventory reduction, elimination of process waste, and gross margin preservation and growth
• Collect and interpret manufacturing data to develop conclusions in root cause analysis of manufacturing issues
• Maintain open and frequent communications with leadership, operators, and other engineers regarding continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead and collaborate with other engineers on process improvement initiatives by providing leadership, coaching, and guidance on Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC problem solving techniques
• Participate in or lead continuous improvement project reviews and provide coaching and guidance to project leaders
• Lead Yellow and Green Belt trainings. Using an established scorecard, certify Green Belts by analyzing data and tool usage from project reviews
• Support efforts to identify, prioritize, and determine business impact of strategic and tactical process improvement initiatives

Product & Process Development:

• Collaborate with Process Engineering, provide technical input to Product Development (R&D) to follow the New Product Development process in the analysis and development of process capability and control metrics

Cross-Functional Interface:

• Work with other functional teams, including the Commercial and Product Management organizations, determine future continuous improvement and cost improvement projects returning the most benefit to the business
• Provide manufacturing capability information and improvement opportunities to Product Management teams to improve product margins
• Track and communicate the status of ongoing projects to the business leadership

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelors' degree in engineering or equivalent (Materials, Metallurgical, Mechanical, Chemical, or related discipline); advanced degree is a plus
• 5 - 8 years of process engineering experience in a manufacturing setting
• Demonstrated ability to successfully lead technical teams.
• Ability to manage multiple complex assignments / projects.
• Strong written and presentation skills
• Willingness and eagerness to learn, receive, and provide coaching
• Demonstrated history of operating with sense of urgency and accountability
• Training in Lean Six Sigma or DMAIC problem solving methodologies
• Green Belt or Black Belt experience or certification pending.
• Proven record of working with strategic business teams to support top and / or bottom-line growth is preferred

The selection of the person to be hired for this position is contingent on the candidate having export compliance eligibility for access to U.S. controlled technology which comes under the licensing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The candidate selected will have to qualify as either a U.S. citizen, a U.S. National, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a Person Admitted into the U.S. as an Asylee or Refugee., a National of a country that is not prohibited from having access to U.S. controlled technology (via a letter of assurance), or a Person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on Materion's determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with Materion's business requirements.

Materion Corporation and its subsidiaries (the "Company") is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the Company's policy to not unlawfully discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also the Company's policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity and maintain employment statistics on applicants.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the Company. Please inform the Company's personnel representative if you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Materion's Veteran Employee Resource group supports veterans and promotes the benefits of hiring veterans in the workplace. We honor all those who have served and are a military friendly company. Veterans are encouraged to apply and military experience and skills are transferrable to Materion careers.

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