Continuous Improvement Engineer

James Hardie•Westfield, MA

3d•$80,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The CIMS Engineer drives safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations at the Westfield finishing plant through practical engineering, Lean improvement, and workforce capability development. Working closely with operators and plant leaders, this role applies solid mechanical knowledge, direct observation, and data analysis to improve line flow, process stability, quality, equipment utilization, and cost performance. Within Westfield’s small, collaborative team, the position combines process improvement and assigned capital projects with hands-on support for the James Hardie Manufacturing Operating System (HMOS), standardized work, and targeted operational training. Success requires building trust, listening to employees, translating technical concepts into clear actions, and influencing change across departments and shifts. The role turns improvement opportunities into measurable results and helps employees sustain them in daily work.

Requirements

At least 3 years of manufacturing engineering, process improvement, mechanical/process troubleshooting, or closely related experience, with demonstrated improvements in safety, quality, throughput, reliability, or cost.
Practical experience in a continuous or automated manufacturing environment, with solid mechanical knowledge and the ability to understand equipment interactions and end to end line flow.
Demonstrated application of Lean and structured problem solving, including leading improvement activities and sustaining changes through standard work.
Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships, facilitate teams, coach employees, and influence change without relying on formal authority.
Experience developing work instructions or training materials and providing hands-on instruction; ability to analyze operating data and communicate findings clearly.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Process, or a related engineering discipline.
Experience with coating or finishing processes, paint delivery, ovens, conveyors, inspection, packaging, or automated material handling.
Experience with HMOS or a comparable Lean operating system, capital projects, commissioning, and controlled equipment or process changes.
Lean Six Sigma certification; experience with skills matrices, qualification assessments, document control, or training systems.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills are beneficial.

Responsibilities

Spend ample time with operators and supervisors on the line to understand the finishing process, end to end. Identify bottlenecks, downtime trends, excess handling, quality losses, and opportunities to improve performance.
Apply mechanical knowledge, time studies, line balancing, process mapping, and loss analysis to improve throughput, labor effectiveness, equipment reliability, and operational efficiency while protecting safety and product quality.
Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Controls teams to troubleshoot equipment and process interactions. Develop solutions for better efficiency
Lead structured problem solving using PDCA, A3, 5 Whys, Pareto analysis, and Lean Six Sigma tools. Verify effectiveness through performance reviews and sustainment checks before standardizing improvements.
Monitor the line progress and prioritize losses with plant leadership and validate benefits with Finance.
Support deployment and sustainment of HMOS principles through 5S, visual management, operator standard work, leader standard work, daily management systems, and effective tier meetings.
Coach employees and supervisors to identify abnormalities, assign ownership, escalate barriers, track actions, and close gaps to improve accountability and operational discipline.
Facilitate Kaizen events and CI activities focused on productivity, quality, flow, setup reduction, workplace organization, and waste elimination. Engage employees closest to the work in developing and sustaining solutions.
Maintain a structured improvement pipeline with defined problem statements, baseline data, ownership, milestones, and expected benefits. Review progress and sustainment with plant leadership.
Partner with the James Hardie CIMS and HMOS network to benchmark performance and share best practices.
Develop, update, and maintain SOPs, standardized work documents, visual job aids, and training materials.
Deliver hands-on training and coaching on equipment operation, process controls, quality requirements, changeovers, troubleshooting, and Lean principles. Reinforce both the task and the purpose behind the standard.
Partner with supervisors, HR, and training resources to identify skill gaps, support all training.
Verify employee proficiency and maintain qualification records and coordinate retraining when standards, equipment, or processes change.
Evaluate training effectiveness through audits, recurring error trends, quality metrics, and operational results.
Manage assigned capital projects from concept through startup.
Coordinate equipment modifications and process changes while ensuring compliance with change management procedures, all zero harm standards, and approval processes.
Develop project handoff requirements including operating procedures, maintenance plans, spare parts recommendations, training materials, acceptance criteria, and startup support.
Participate in audits, compliance reviews, and quality investigations. Implement, track, and sustain corrective actions while maintaining accurate documentation and improvement records.
Lead cross-functional initiatives through collaboration, influence, and structured problem solving.
Balance multiple priorities including CI projects, operational support, technical problem solving, and training initiatives. Monitor progress, communicate risks, and ensure commitments are achieved.
Promote a culture of safety, quality, CI, and employee development while supporting plant objectives and operational excellence.
Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.