Lean Engineer

Corning•Hickory, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Corning is seeking a Lean Manufacturing Engineer to lead and drive continuous improvement initiatives. In this role, you will implement and sustain Lean Manufacturing practices to enhance performance in quality, cost, delivery, morale, and safety. Key focus areas include Lean fundamentals such as Value Stream Mapping, Visual Performance Metrics, Workplace Organization (WPO), Kaizen, Work Standardization, and Gemba Engagement. The role also encompasses transformational competencies, including workplace design, inventory controls, capacity flexibility, flow smoothing, value-add analysis, and insignificant changeover. This position requires close collaboration with other Corning locations to ensure alignment with corporate initiatives, share best practices, and maintain consistency across systems and processes. The ideal candidate will develop and implement systems, procedures, and projects that align with plant, divisional, and corporate goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering disciplines: Chemical, Textile, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical, or Materials Science
A minimum of 4 years of experience in manufacturing and/or engineering.
2+ years of leadership experience in functional or project-based roles.
1+ year of experience in knowledge and application of Six Sigma/DMAIC tools.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project) and ERP systems.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a strategy for a self-sustaining Lean program, and track and analyze Lean metrics to measure the effectiveness of improvements.
Establish and maintain a process for Lean training and development, and educate and coach plant employees on Lean principles, vision, concepts, and expectations.
Lead the deployment of Lean manufacturing methodologies and tools, and conduct value stream mapping exercises to identify, document, and execute opportunities for improvement in cycle time, capacity, and cost.
Utilize Kaizen principles and facilitate leadership engagement in the Gemba to identify and implement solutions.
Develop and implement sustainable Lean programs, including 5S, Visual Control, and Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED; including planning and execution of workplace flow/layout improvements and equipment installations, modifications, and relocations in line with Lean principles.
Identify and implement benchmarking opportunities across Corning locations to promote best practices and process standardization.