What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Continuous Improvement position at HTI?
Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Continuous Improvement
Location: Easley, SC
Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire
HTI is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Continuous Improvement for a growing manufacturing operation in Easley, SC. This senior-level position is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys being on the manufacturing floor, solving complex problems, and leading improvements that produce measurable results.
What We Offer
- A senior-level role with visibility across engineering and plant leadership
- The opportunity to lead high-impact continuous improvement and capital projects
- A hands-on environment where ideas can directly influence safety, quality, cost, and productivity
- Collaboration with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Tool & Die, and Design Engineering
- The opportunity to improve and standardize processes within a growing manufacturing operation
- A full-time, direct-hire position with long-term growth potential
What You Need
- Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related field
- Approximately 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing engineering or continuous improvement experience
- Proven success leading complex improvement projects with measurable results
- Strong experience in a hands-on manufacturing environment
- Experience with metal fabrication, structural steel, roll forming, welding, punching, or heavy manufacturing strongly preferred
- Knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, value stream mapping, SMED, OEE, root cause analysis, and standard work
- Experience supporting capital equipment installation, process validation, and new product launches
- Strong analytical, project-management, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence change without direct authority
- Experience with Microsoft Excel and ERP or MRP systems
- Experience with Autodesk Inventor is preferred
- Lean Six Sigma certification is a plus
What Your Role Will Look Like
- Lead plant-wide Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives
- Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities using production data, floor observations, and employee feedback
- Facilitate Kaizen events and lead waste-reduction projects
- Improve safety, quality, OEE, labor productivity, throughput, equipment utilization, and manufacturing flow
- Reduce setup and changeover times through SMED, standardized work, and process improvements
- Lead root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions
- Evaluate manufacturing methods and recommend improvements to equipment, tooling, plant layout, material flow, and labor utilization
- Develop manufacturing routings, work instructions, production standards, and process documentation
- Support structural steel roll forming, punching, welding, fabrication, and assembly operations
- Partner with Design Engineering on Design for Manufacturability and new product introductions
- Lead manufacturing-readiness activities for new products, equipment, and processes
- Support capital equipment selection, justification, installation, validation, and startup
- Establish project goals, timelines, performance measurements, and reporting
- Coach cross-functional teams on Lean principles and continuous improvement practices
- Present project results, risks, and recommendations to plant and senior leadership
This is a highly visible, hands-on position that will spend most of its time supporting employees, equipment, and processes on the manufacturing floor. Limited travel may be required.