Process Improvement Engineer

General Dynamics Electric Boat • Groton, CT

20h • Onsite

About The Position

General Dynamics Electric Boat is one of the only two shipyards that produce submarines for the US Navy and there’s never been a better time to join. The US Navy has a demand for cutting-edge naval capability and technology never seen before, and Electric Boat is the vanguard—designing, building, and maintaining the most advanced submarines in the world. Our work is mission-critical work in supporting the U.S. Navy and strengthening national security. The mission of D201 – Process Improvement Engineering is to enable the success of the shipbuilders of Groton Shipyard to be safe and successful as they build and test the most advanced vessels in the US Navy. This role involves using techniques and strategies from Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Theory of Constraints, team facilitated problem solving, and culture transformation to create breakthrough improvements in span times, quality, and performance, guiding organizations in developing and implementing improvement strategies and creating tangible & significant improvements. The successful candidate will be hands-on with shipbuilders and other organizations, observing submarine manufacturing and facilitating teams in solving major constraints using logical, data-driven, and collaborative methods. Responsibilities include applying Lean Six Sigma principles to investigate, analyze, and facilitate process change to reduce lead times, improve quality, reduce costs, and enhance safety within the manufacturing and outfitting areas at Groton. A critical challenge will be addressing non-linear production with high levels of diversity in work, expanding continuous improvement methodologies to solve issues around massive coordination in submarine production, focusing on high-mix, low volume, and system coordination rather than linear flow optimization. Selected applicants will receive company-provided training and certification in Lean Six Sigma.

Requirements

• High School diploma or GED equivalent
• 4-year degree in science or business, OR 4+ years of Electric Boat experience
• 1+ years of project management skills with a working knowledge of the principles of analytical problem-solving techniques
• Candidate must successfully complete company provided Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt training, pass training course exams, and complete certification requirements to remain in this role
• Candidate must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Clearance
• Strong project management skills capable of progressing multiple projects at the same time while controlling project spans and delivering on objectives
• Ability to work under minimal supervision and in a team environment
• Capable of combining assertive initiative while maintaining stakeholder support to accomplish challenging tasks
• Work as Change Agents to remove barriers that hinder change
• Earn the trust & respect of everyone from front-line employees, to supervision, to the leadership team, and our military and civilian Navy customers
• Lead teams in Continuous Improvement projects that leverage team experience & creativity, and use logic and tools to improve the process
• Lead the teams in developing and implementing their own solutions
• Turn data into information, and develop drive data based decision making
• Oral and written presentation skills including communicating with all levels from front line employees to the management team
• An understanding of basic probability and statistics
• Excellent interpersonal skills and works well in a team environment
• Possess the professional discipline required to accomplish challenging tasks, and work as change agents to remove barriers that hinder change
• Strong interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills
• Persistent, patient, and kind
• Demonstrated ability to close out projects on-time with desired results
• Able to combine initiative with professionalism to accomplish difficult tasks
• Motivated, performance driven individual with strong leadership skills

Nice To Haves

• Training in Lean Manufacturing and/or Lean Six Sigma Black/Green Belt
• Experience with Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, or Toyota Production Systems is highly desired
• Experience in systems understanding and systems thinking
• Experience in team problem solving and/or change leadership initiatives
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office, specifically Excel (charts, pivot tables, comfortability with large data sets)
• Experience with project budgeting, cost estimating, scheduling, capturing & reporting savings is highly desired
• Knowledgeable in developing Continuous Improvement strategies and vision
• Prior Electric Boat relevant experience is preferred, prior Electric Boat Process Improvement Engineering/Lean Six Sigma Belt experience is desired

Responsibilities

• Assist organizations in identifying, planning, and implementing Process Improvements and Lean Six Sigma Projects and ensure they align with company objectives
• Lead teams on projects to improve safety and quality, reducing cost, and improving schedule performance
• Give presentations to Managers & Directors
• Create Groton Operations Metric packages
• Facilitate and lead meetings with various leadership positions
• Fostering a culture of continuous improvement in the organization
• Work with leadership and employees on applying Lean and Six Sigma approaches to help achieve process excellence
• Provide mentorship to employees when leading change
• Identify and eliminate the barriers that prevent successful attainment of company’s improvement goals

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees