Process Improvement Engineer

Overview:

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 to the U.S. Navy and strengthening national security.

About the Team - Process Improvement Engineering (D201)

Our mission 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 world. Our team uses a holistic mix of 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.

We adapt and expand these methods for this high-mix low-volume production environment. We guide organizations in developing and implementing improvement strategies and creating tangible & significant improvements.

You’ll be part of a collaborative and supportive team working on new and exciting challenges abundant in opportunities for learning and development. We work cross functionally through all the Electric Boat organizations, and you’ll get to go Gemba on submarines!

Role Overview:

You will be hands-on with the shipbuilders and other organizations. You will see how submarines are made and facilitate teams of workers in solving the largest constraints. The methods will be logical, data driven, and collaborative.

You will be responsible for the application of Lean Six Sigma principles to investigate, analyze and facilitate process changes directly resulting in reduced lead times, improved quality, reduced costs, and improved safety within the manufacturing and outfitting areas in Groton.

One critical challenge the team confronts is improvements in an environment that is mostly non-linear production where the manufacturing activities aren’t the endless repeats of a few processes, but rather high levels of diversity in the work being performed. We take the foundational principles and tools of the various continuous improvement methodologies and expand them to solve issues around the massive amount of coordination in submarine production.

This role will rarely be about optimizing linear (assembly line style) flow or local optimization, but high-mix, low volume and system coordination.

The selected applicants will receive training and certification in Lean Six Sigma in support of improving Electric Boat’s business processes and alignment to Electric Boat’s unique Continuous Improvement approach.

Responsibilities include:

• 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
• Relay findings, progress, and improvements to management and senior leaders
• 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 achieve process excellence
• Provide mentorship to employees when leading change
• Identify and eliminate the barriers that prevent successful attainment of company’s improvement goals

You will need strong project management skills capable of progressing multiple projects at the same time while controlling project spans and delivering on objectives, and the ability to work under minimal supervision and in a team…