Continuous Improvement Engineer
About The Position
Our client, Riverhawk Company, is seeking a highly motivated and results-driven Continuous Improvement Engineer to lead and implement a formal Continuous Improvement (CI) program across our CNC manufacturing operations. This is a newly created role designed to build and sustain a culture of operational excellence from the ground up. The Continuous Improvement Engineer will identify and eliminate scrap, rework, and waste while driving lean initiatives to achieve and maintain a “first time good” rate of 90% or greater. This individual will serve as a change leader within the organization — inspiring collaboration, gaining shop-floor trust, and promoting a culture of precision, accountability, and data-driven decision-making. This is a brand new hands-on position with significant visibility and long-term growth potential into senior leadership.
Requirements
- Associate’s degree in Engineering or related technical field required; Bachelor’s degree preferred. (Degree may be substituted only by exceptional hands-on experience combined with strong analytical and technical competency.)
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, production leadership, or continuous improvement within a CNC machining or similar environment.
- Demonstrated success leading Lean Manufacturing initiatives, 5S implementation, Kaizen events, and value stream mapping.
- Proven ability to implement measurable improvements that increase throughput and reduce cost.
- Strong knowledge of bills of materials (BOMs), routings, process controls, and ISO documentation.
- Experience working within ERP systems (SyteLine preferred) and extracting data for analysis.
- Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, dashboards, data manipulation, reporting).
- Ability to gain shop-floor credibility and effectively influence cultural change in a mid-size manufacturing environment.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Nice To Haves
- Six Sigma certification a plus.
Responsibilities
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across CNC work centers and production processes.
- Build and implement a structured CI program where none currently exists.
- Audit shop floor processes; identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, scrap drivers, and systemic waste.
- Analyze ERP and production data to develop actionable improvement plans that increase throughput and reduce cost.
- Drive Lean initiatives including 5S, Kaizen events, value stream mapping, visual management, and standard work development.
- Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) processes to resolve quality and efficiency issues.
- Collaborate with engineering to improve manufacturability, cost control, and process consistency for new and existing parts.
- Partner with an external TDO consultant to launch and lead key CI projects.
- Develop and maintain process documentation, KPIs, dashboards, and ISO-aligned procedures.
- Champion employee engagement and cultural adoption of continuous improvement principles.
- Extract and interpret ERP data (SyteLine) to drive data-based operational decisions.
- Present performance metrics, findings, and improvement strategies to leadership.
Benefits
- 96 hours PTO + 56 hours Paid Sick Leave annually for new hires
- Ten paid holidays
- Discretionary performance bonuses
- Medical insurance with company-funded HRA
- Two dental plan options
- Vision insurance
- Immediate 100% vesting in 401(k) with 3% Company Contribution
- Company-paid short-term disability and $25,000 life insurance
- Optional long-term disability and additional life insurance
- Tuition assistance and professional development opportunities
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Associate degree
