Operational Excellence Specialist

Abbott • North Chicago, IL

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Operational Excellence Specialist supports initiatives to improve performance, productivity, quality, and customer service through data-driven problem solving and continuous improvement methodologies. Working closely with the Operational Excellence Leader, this entry-level role assists with Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other improvement projects while promoting a culture of operational excellence across the organization. This is not a remote opportunity; qualified candidates must currently live in the Chicagoland area.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or Science and at least 2 years of experience in operations, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, supply chain, engineering, project management, or a related field; or an associate degree and 6 or more years of relevant experience; or a high school diploma/GED and 8 or more years of relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of improvement tools and methodologies.
• Highly motivated process thinker who drives customer-focused solutions.
• Strong organization and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Ability to leverage and/or engage others to accomplish projects.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at multiple levels in the organization.
• Must currently live in the Chicagoland area.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt or Green Belt certification.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning, execution, and sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist with process analysis, root cause investigations, process mapping, and corrective actions.
• Promote the use of Lean tools and techniques, including standard work, 5S, visual management, and problem-solving methods.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and visual management tools to improve data understanding and performance tracking.
• Participate in process observations to identify waste, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to drive operational improvements and share best practices.
• Support employee engagement, training, and continuous improvement activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance the employee and customer experience.

Benefits

• Career development opportunities with an international company.
• Potential eligibility for free medical coverage in the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• Retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Freedom 2 Save student debt program.
• FreeU education benefit, an affordable and convenient path to earning a bachelor’s degree.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level