Mechanical Support - Mgr, Continuous Improvem

Overview

Mechanical Support - Manager, Continuous Improvement—Manufacturing Engineering and Continuous Improvement Leader to guide the plant engineering team and serve as the facility's Lean facilitator at Standard Motor Products, Independence, KS.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused on cross-functional improvement projects, developing plant personnel, and delivering measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and inventory. The successful candidate will spend significant time on the production floor, facilitating events, coaching at the point of work, and building the management systems described in this posting.

• Lead, coach, and develop the plant manufacturing engineering team, including setting expectations, prioritizing work, providing feedback, and fostering ownership and accountability for outcomes.
• Set priorities and manage the manufacturing engineering and continuous improvement project portfolio, balancing urgent production needs with longer-term improvement work.
• Serve as the facility s primary Lean facilitator by planning and leading cross-functional improvement projects, Kaizen events, Gemba-based reviews, and structured problem-solving activities.
• Mentor managers, supervisors, engineers, and employees in Lean methods, including visual management, daily accountability, standard work, leader standard work, flow, 5S, and waste elimination.
• Build visual management systems—performance boards, tiered meetings, action tracking, and escalation paths—that convert operational data into clear priorities and accountability, sustaining momentum.
• Lead structured root-cause investigations from containment through verified root cause and lasting corrective action and prevention.
• Improve and sustain existing manufacturing processes, including methods, tooling, fixtures, workflow, labor utilization, ergonomics, process capability, and documentation.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Design Engineering, and Process Engineering to solve operational problems and implement sustainable improvements.
• Establish project scope, ownership, milestones, expected benefits, and measures of success; track progress and verify that improvements are sustained.
• Support new-product and process launches and production line transfers through plant manufacturability input, production-readiness support, and post-launch stabilization.

• Bachelor s degree in engineering or a closely related technical field.
• Seven or more years of progressive manufacturing engineering, continuous improvement, or manufacturing operations experience.
• At least three years of direct people-management experience, preferably leading engineers or other technical professionals in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success as a collaborative leader who drives results by empowering their team, setting clear performance expectations and strategic goals, coaching and developing, prioritizing daily workloads, providing continuous feedback, and addressing performance gaps with a constructive approach.
• Hands-on experience leading structured problem-solving from problem definition through verified root cause and sustained corrective action.
• Working knowledge of A3 problem solving, 5 Why, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, process mapping, mistake-proofing, control methods, and basic statistical analysis as applied to production problems.
• Experience designing, launching, and sustaining Lean daily management and visual management systems that remain in use over time.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional improvement projects with measurable results in safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, or inventory.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (advanced Excel for analysis, tracking, and reporting). Working knowledge of CAD software (Solid Works, AutoCAD, or similar), ERP or MES systems, and statistical software (e.g., Minitab) is preferred.
• Strong project-management, analytical, communication, and organizational skills with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Preferred: experience in a high-mix manufacturing environment; experience in automotive or regulated manufacturing, familiarity with customer quality-system requirements such as IATF 16949 and PPAP; new-product launch or production line transfer experience;
  Lean Six Sigma certification.

This is a visible plant leadership role with direct influence on operational performance. The successful candidate strengthens Lean and problem-solving capability across the facility and helps convert improvement opportunities into sustained results.

Standard Motor Products is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.