Continuous Improvement Engineer

Company / Location Information

A. O. Smith is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative water heating and water treatment technologies in the world. We are a $3.8 billion company with 149 years history and we employ more than 12,000 individuals globally.  We are committed to Continuous Improvement, not just in our factories or processes, but in our people.

Our Ashland City, TN facility employs 1300+ people at our North American Water Heating Headquarters as well as the largest water heater manufacturing site in North America, producing over 7000 residential water heaters a day or over 2.3 million water heaters each year.   

Primary Function

The Continuous Improvement Engineer will be involved in the continuous improvement and manufacturing process improvement initiatives at our Ashland City manufacturing plant to develop and implement best methods of work.  This role will either be involved in with materials or with manufacturing.  Manufacturing processes at this plant include fabrication, paints/coatings, furnace, and assembly.

Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of a strategic plan that incorporates the current manufacturing concepts and practices throughout the facility and integrates them with our ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to provide the most efficient method of manufacturing product.
• Manage and support the product routing structure within the current ERP (SAP) System.
• The ideal candidate will have experience within an organization that has undergone or is currently undergoing a “lean” transformation.  Understanding of when and how to utilize basic “lean” tools (A3s, Daily/Visual Management, etc.), in addition to experience with the processes to surface and solve problems, is preferred.  A growth mindset and someone who values learning while developing others is needed to flourish in this role.  Provide technical, project, and process improvement assistance for manufacturing.
• Works with enterprise business units at the operational and corporate level to drive process improvements, identifying compliance to customer service standards and strategies for consistent, repeatable, and flawless execution.

Role Specific Responsibilities

• Analyzes ambiguous problems utilizing demonstrated proficiency of lean tools such as VSM, Standard Work, 5S, Process Observations (time-study); Process Flow charts; Spaghetti Diagrams and other lean tools. Breaks down complex information in a systematic and communicable manner.  Involved in and may lead Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, and other Lean events.
• Provide technical guidance to help production efficiency, cost reduction, product quality and safety improvements.
• Provide guidance to engineers and maintenance personnel in problem solving of production issues, equipment and general manufacturing methods and practices.
• Plan production workflow and equipment layout changes for maximum efficiency using automation where possible.
• Comply with all Safety and Quality Policies and Procedures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in an Engineering field required.
• 3 or more years of engineering experience required.
• The ideal candidate will understand manufacturing processes and will help define and establish procedures and processes to ensure that the integrity of system data is maintained and reliable.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, teach, and mentor technical and non-technical knowledge to hourly and salaried employees to drive business results.
• Apply structured problem-solving approach to complex processes and equipment issues with the ability to determine root cause, as well as implement timely corrective action.
• Proven experience in working on cross functional teams in the execution and implementation of process improvement projects.
• High level of integrity and professionalism with strong leadership skills.
• Possess good organizational, project management, leadership, and communication skills.

We Offer

Great people make our organization great and because of that, we offer an onsite A. O. Smith Company merchandise store for our employees, employee discounts on water filtration products, a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company-sponsored life insurance, 401k with employer match and year-end employer contribution, short- and long-term disability programs and tuition assistance.