Position Title: Continuous Improvement – Automotive Manufacturing

Location: Sydney, OH

Basic Purpose and Objective

Seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement Engineer to support operational excellence within a fast-paced automotive manufacturing plant located in Ohio. This role is responsible for driving process improvements, waste reduction, and productivity gains across manufacturing operations. The ideal candidate will have prior experience in an automotive manufacturing environment and a strong understanding of plant-level production processes. Experience working in the production of soft interior trim components—such as headliners, door panels, instrument panel coverings, or other soft-touch interior surfaces—is a strong advantage. This is a hands-on, plant-floor focused role requiring daily interaction with production teams, engineering, maintenance, and leadership to identify opportunities and implement measurable improvements.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity.

• Analyze existing manufacturing processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, and

improvement opportunities.

• Implement Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Kaizen methodologies across plant operations.

• Support process optimization and workflow improvements for manufacturing

lines and production cells.

• Facilitate Kaizen events, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis activities.

• Work closely with production supervisors, maintenance teams, and plant leadership to implement sustainable improvements.

• Track and report key performance metrics including OEE, scrap reduction, cycle time improvements and cost savings.

• Support new product launches by ensuring capable manufacturing processes.

• Develop and maintain standard work documentation and process controls.
• Train plant personnel on continuous improvement tools and best practices.
• Support automation, tooling improvements, and equipment optimization where applicable.

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.

• 5+ years of experience in automotive manufacturing (required).• Demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement initiatives in a plant environment.

• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and problem-solving methodologies.

• Experience analyzing and improving plant production processes and manufacturing workflows.

• Ability to work directly on the production floor and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

• Strong data analysis, project management, and communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in automotive interior manufacturing, particularly with soft trim components such as:

o Headliners

o Door panels

o Interior trim coverings

o Foam-backed materials or laminated surfaces

• Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as:

o Thermoforming

o Lamination

o Cut-and-sew

o Foaming

o Adhesive bonding

• Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt preferred).

Work Environment

• Full-time onsite role in Ohio manufacturing plant.
• Daily presence on the production floor supporting plant operations.
• No remote or work-from-home option due to the hands-on nature of the position.

Key Attributes for Success

• Strong problem-solving and analytical mindset.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with production teams and plant leadership.
• Comfortable working in a high-volume automotive manufacturing environment.
• Results-oriented with a focus on measurable operational improvements.

Details