Continuous Improvement Engineer

James Hardie•Plant City, FL

About The Position

The CIMS Engineer drives safe, reliable, and cost-effective plant operations through practical engineering, Lean improvement, and workforce capability development. Working closely with operators and plant leaders, the role uses mechanical knowledge, direct observation, and data analysis to improve line flow, process stability, quality, equipment utilization, and cost performance. It 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. The position supports James Hardie’s manufacturing operations and its purpose of Building a Better Future for All through sustainable innovation, a Zero Harm culture, and a commitment to empowering people and communities. The posting describes a salary range of $79,400 to $99,300, with placement based on factors including experience, skills, geography, and internal equity. The role qualifies for benefits and participation in a bonus plan.

Requirements

At least 2 years of manufacturing engineering, process improvement, mechanical or 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.
Solid mechanical knowledge and 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.
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.
Minimum of 2 years of progressive experience leading process improvement projects in a manufacturing environment.
Minimum of 2 years of Lean, Six Sigma, TPS, or continuous improvement experience in a manufacturing environment, including daily management, standard work, visual management, 5S strategy deployment, and problem solving.
High school diploma required.
Excellent communication skills and comfort working with all levels of the organization and external customers.
Strong leadership, negotiation, and conflict management skills.
Experience using process improvement tools.
Ability to work independently under ambiguous or changing conditions and function independently in a high-impact position with deadline and resource constraints.
Ability to coordinate across disciplines and integrate business considerations into development projects, including negotiating scope, roles and responsibilities, specifications, timelines, and resources across the organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience with HMOS or a comparable Lean operating system.
Experience with 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.
Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Proficiency in Lean, including Kaizen continuous improvement design and facilitation.

Responsibilities

Spend 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.
Use 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.
Work with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Controls teams to troubleshoot equipment and process interactions and develop efficiency improvements.
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 line progress, prioritize losses with plant leadership, and validate benefits with Finance.
Support deployment and sustainment of HMOS principles, including 5S, visual management, operator standard work, leader standard work, daily management systems, and tier meetings.
Coach employees and supervisors to identify abnormalities, assign ownership, escalate barriers, track actions, and close gaps.
Facilitate Kaizen events and continuous improvement activities focused on productivity, quality, flow, setup reduction, workplace organization, and waste elimination, engaging employees closest to the work in developing and sustaining solutions.
Maintain an improvement pipeline with 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.
Partner with supervisors, HR, and training resources to identify skill gaps and support training.
Verify employee proficiency, maintain qualification records, and coordinate retraining when standards, equipment, or processes change.
Evaluate training effectiveness using audits, recurring error trends, quality metrics, and operational results.
Manage assigned capital projects from concept through startup.
Coordinate equipment modifications and process changes in compliance with change management procedures, 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 continuous improvement projects, operational support, technical problem solving, and training initiatives; monitor progress, communicate risks, and ensure commitments are achieved.
Promote a culture of safety, quality, continuous improvement, and employee development while supporting plant objectives and operational excellence.
Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.