Continuous Improvement Specialist

Howmet Aerospace is searching for a Continuous Improvement Specialist to join our Howmet Wheel Systems (HWS) business unit.  This position will work closely with the plants located in Cleveland, OH and Barberton, OH, splitting the majority of time between both locations.

Howmet Aerospace (NYSE: HWM) creates breakthrough products that shape industries. Working in close partnership with our customers, we solve complex engineering challenges to transform the way we fly, drive, and power. Through the ingenuity of our people and cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques, we deliver these products at a quality and efficiency that ensure customer success and shareholder value. 

Howmet Wheel Systems (HWS) is a business unit with a rich tradition and a bright future. We invented the forged wheel in 1948 and have remained the global leader in providing safe, strong, lightweight, and innovative aluminum transportation products ever since. ALCOA® Wheels are highly engineered products operating in challenging environments with significant product liability risk and wide diversity of end use applications ranging from passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks to commercial and military vehicles. HWS employs 1,900 people at 12 locations worldwide and produces over 4 million aluminum wheels globally with annual sales more than $1 billion.

Our customers trust us to deliver a wide range of great looking and dependable products that improve fuel economy and increase payload to address their customer’s business needs. Our Commercial Vehicle Wheel products lead the world in market innovation and truck, trailer, and bus customers recognize our LvL ONE®, Dura-Bright® and Ultra ONE® wheels as the current innovative products in this market. 

Job Dimensions:

The Continuous Improvement Specialist will work closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and other departments to identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, efficiency and cost. 

Major Activities & Key Challenges:

• Drive the execution of Howmet Business Systems (HBS) manufacturing principles and techniques that deliver productivity that meets or exceeds cost savings targets (as measured in DI system). 
• Utilize performance metrics monitoring, observation techniques, and data analysis tools to identify opportunities that close performance gaps via A3 thinking. 
• Facilitate successful kaizen and rapid improvement process events including the support required to sustain the improvements established during the events.
• Coach and support operational leaders in meeting business improvement metrics and driving cultural change through the application of HBS methods and techniques with special focus in problem solving methods, tools, and strategies. 
• Support the development of visual tools utilizing digital automation as needed to upgrade the operating system and performance monitoring approaches.       
• Support continuous improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing operation while working with production teams to identify process inefficiencies, bottlenecks, waste and opportunities for improvement.
• Help develop and maintain process documentation, standard work instructions, process maps, and visual work aids.
• Assist in measuring and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as productivity, scrap, downtime, quality, throughput, and labor efficiency.
• Follow up on improvement projects to verify that changes are producing sustainable results.
• Assist with time studies, process observations, and workflow analysis.
• Support implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Help facilitate improvement meetings and Kaizen events.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve workflow, increase capacity, and lower operating costs.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a manufacturing environment/organization

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.  Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

• This position is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) which requires U.S. person status.  ITAR defines U.S. person as an U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. 'Green Card Holder'), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Manufacturing Technology from an accredited institution

• Experience leading kaizen activities

• Relevant certification recognition (Six Sigma, Lean, ASQ Certification, etc.) 

• Prior manufacturing experience 

• Experience with smart manufacturing technologies (historian, PLC data collection, MES, etc.)

• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing and rapid improvement techniques