Operational Excellence Engineer

From Engine Bay to Payload, we protect vital structures and systems.

Hera Technologies is a premier contract manufacturer specializing in high-precision metallic and non-metallic solutions for the Aerospace, Defense, and Space sectors. Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction has positioned us as an industry leader in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of thermal support systems. Our team is driven by excellence, integrity, and a passion for advancing aerospace technology.

Take the next step in your career with a company committed to excellence, where your contributions are recognized, and your potential is realized.

Hera Technologies is seeking a dedicated, hands-on OPEX Engineer (Operational Excellence Engineer) to support factory flow optimization and drive continuous improvement across our manufacturing facility. Reporting to the Operational Excellence Lead, this role serves as an engineering engine to advance our site’s continuous improvement (CI) strategy, directly supporting our mission to deliver superior quality, high-precision aerospace solutions on time while fostering a culture grounded in operational excellence, integrity, safety, and teamwork.

The ideal candidate brings a solid foundation in industrial or manufacturing engineering principles, practical knowledge of the Toyota Production System (TPS), and a true passion for shop-floor execution. You will spend significant time on the floor conducting time and motion studies, validating process maturity, gathering data, and authoring standard work that drives throughput, quality, cost reduction, and continuous value for our customers.

• Time & Motion Studies: Conduct rigorous time studies, cycle time evaluations, and process observations to establish accurate baseline metrics, track labor routing, and identify production bottlenecks.
• Standard Work Development: Author, optimize, and maintain highly detailed Standard Work, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and work instructions, ensuring they promote strict quality compliance, repeatability, and operator safety.
• Site CI Deployment & Process Maturity: Serve as a shop-floor focal for Hera’s continuous improvement initiatives. Assist in conducting process analysis, shop-floor evaluations, and workflow validations to identify waste, improve throughput, and elevate site-wide process maturity.
• Kaizen & Root-Cause Problem Solving: Act as a tactical driver for Kaizen events, CI workshops, and root-cause problem solving initiatives (DMAIC / 8D / 5-Why). Perform comprehensive pre-event data collection, analyze current state workflows, and execute ground-level implementations.
• TPS & Lean Application: Apply core principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) daily to identify and eliminate waste in processes, cellular layout configurations, and manufacturing methods.
• Visual Factory & 5S Culture: Support the physical rollout and daily maintenance of visual management systems (kanban, production tracking boards) and strictly enforce 5S methodologies across all production work centers to maintain a clean, organized, and safe workplace.
• Data Analytics & Productivity Tracking: Meticulously collect, validate, and analyze operational data (routing, labor tracking, yield) to support project selection, root-cause analysis, and project validation. Assist in tracking and reporting out site productivity project funnels to leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Frontline
  
  Coaching:
  
  Partner closely with operators, Production, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure smooth rollouts of new standards. Coach frontline employees in basic CI methodologies to strengthen overall site competency, build trust, and drive a proactive continuous improvement culture

• Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• Experience: 1–4 years of practical experience in a continuous improvement, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, or operational excellence role.
• Methodologies: Solid understanding of Toyota Production System (TPS) principles,…