Continuous Improvement Engineer

Axion Recruitment is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer for a fast-growing food manufacturing plant. This role is critical in driving operational excellence by improving safety, quality, and efficiency through Lean methodologies.

Responsibilities:

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across production, packaging, utilities, and material flow
• Drive improvements in OEE, yield, labor efficiency, downtime reduction, and waste elimination
• Identify production bottlenecks and implement effective countermeasures to increase capacity
• Support line startups, changeovers, and process stabilization during scale-up activities
• Deploy Lean tools including 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, Kaizen, SMED, and A3 problem solving
• Develop and sustain standard operating procedures in collaboration with Manufacturing and Quality teams
• Establish visual KPI boards and daily management routines on the production floor
• Coach supervisors, team leads, and operators in CI methodologies and problem-solving techniques
• Facilitate Kaizen events and cross-functional improvement initiatives
• Support ERP, MES, and downtime tracking systems to enhance data-driven decision-making
• Ensure all improvements align with GMP, HACCP, SQF, and FSMA standards
• Partner with Quality and Food Safety teams to reduce deviations and improve audit outcomes

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Food Science, or related field
• 5+ years of continuous improvement experience within food, beverage, CPG, or regulated manufacturing
• Proven success improving plant KPIs such as OEE, yield, scrap, and labor efficiency
• Working knowledge of GMP environments and food manufacturing regulations
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt