Lean Manufacturing Engineer

Atkore•Harvey, IL

5d•$76,080 - $104,610•Onsite

About The Position

Atkore is seeking a dedicated, on-site Lean Manufacturing Engineer to drive daily execution, stability, and continuous improvement through the Atkore Business System (ABS). This role partners directly with site leadership, supervisors, and operators to improve performance in Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC). The Lean Engineer will act as an accountability partner, a hands-on doer, and a lean subject-matter expert, requiring visible floor presence, direct engagement, and ownership of results. This role demands a bias for action, comfort challenging gaps to standard, and persistence to ensure results are delivered and sustained.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or other related functional areas or work experience.
3 to 5 years of similar work experience in a manufacturing operation.
Proficient in creating and analyzing data.
Proven ability to conduct complex problem solving and analysis and apply these abilities to product or service development and process improvement required.

Nice To Haves

Certified Lean Practitioner or Certified Six Sigma Black Belt strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Support and sustain Lean Daily Management (LDM) systems across departments and shifts.
Facilitate daily huddles, tier meetings, and SQDC reviews.
Ensure visual management is accurate, current, and used to drive action.
Coach supervisors on leader standard work, escalation, and problem solving.
Reinforce commitments made in daily management and ensure follow-through.
Address gaps to standards directly and in real time.
Identify, prioritize, and lead high-impact Kaizen events aligned to SQDC objectives.
Partner with site leadership to ensure CI activity focuses on impactful real business needs.
Use data and direct observation to target improvement opportunities with material impact.
Translate Kaizen outcomes into standard work with clear ownership and sustainment plans.
Analyze operational data to identify trends, risks, and chronic issues.
Lead structured root cause problem solving using lean and Six Sigma tools.
Drive execution and verification of countermeasures.
Prevent regression through audits, follow-up, and routine reinforcement.
Support standardization of best practices within the site.
Manage and enhance Key Process Indicators (KPIs) and Targets to Improve (TTI) dashboards aligned to the Strategy Deployment Process.
Support plant productivity initiatives and transactional waste reduction efforts.
Provide input and feedback to leadership on process improvement opportunities across all areas of the organization.
Facilitate process and transactional improvement Kaizen events.
Identify, establish, and sustain standardized processes across the organization.
Collect, analyze, and monitor data to prioritize high-impact Kaizen initiatives.
Actively engage in plant operating rhythms that promote cross-functional communication, opportunity identification, and problem-solving.
Partner closely with plant team members at all levels to train, coach, and implement Lean methodologies (e.g., LDM, 5S, Kaizen).
Conduct assessments to evaluate team maturity in Lean tools, concepts, and methodologies.
Partner with cross-functional teams to define process capabilities, assess performance gaps, and develop gap closure plans.
Build and support a robust Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) pipeline, including creating and executing Kaizen charters Facilitating improvement workshops and coaching team leaders on effectiveness.
Coach, train, and mentor teams in Lean tools and methodologies, including Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work, 5S, SMED, Lean Daily Management, Gemba, problem-solving, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
Promote awareness, knowledge, and application of Lean methodologies to support business objectives.
Provide functional leadership with guidance and support in applying Lean and Continuous Improvement principles aligned with Atkore Business System (ABS) objectives.
Deliver training on Lean and Continuous Improvement tools in both office and manufacturing environments.