Continuous Improvement Engineer

Who We Are

Alene Candles LLC & Midwest is a private label, contract manufacturer that produces high-quality candles for some of the world’s most recognized retail, boutique, and cosmetic brands. With our headquarters in New Hampshire and locations in Ohio, we’ve been in business for over 25 years. We are passionate about making the best products in the world, making safety our number one priority, and being an insanely great place to work.

The Position

We are in search of a Continuous Improvement (CI) Engineer to join our engineering team. As a CI Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in enhancing our production processes through continuous improvement initiatives. Your primary focus will be on identifying losses, driving improvement activities and projects, and developing and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration throughout the organization.

The Location

We are located at 8860 Smith's Mill Rd, Ste 100,New Albany, OH 43054. This is an onsite position.

Additional Job Details

• Lead continuous improvement projects within the manufacturing environment, applying lean methodologies and Kaizen principles to streamline processes, reduce waste, and enhance efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing engineers, production supervisors, and frontline workers, to identify improvement opportunities and implement sustainable solutions.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and workshops to engage employees in problem-solving activities, root cause analysis, and process optimization.
• Develop and maintain performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the progress of improvement projects and measure the impact on operational efficiency and quality.
• Deliver cost saving through projects.
• Provide training and support to employees at all levels on lean principles, tools, and techniques, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Partner with external stakeholders, including suppliers and customers, to identify opportunities for collaboration and process optimization across the value chain.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, process improvement, or lean manufacturing within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of lean methodologies, including value stream mapping, 5S, Kaizen, and standard work, with a proven track record of implementing lean initiatives and driving sustainable improvements.
• Experience facilitating improvement events and leading cross-functional teams in problem-solving activities and process optimization.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and motivate employees at all levels of the organization.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to mine and analyze data, identify trends, and develop actionable insights to drive continuous improvement.
• Understanding of how to translate CI activities into cost savings metrics.
• Strong bias to action.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent training is preferred.
• This position will be based in Ohio. The successful candidate must have the ability to travel 30% of the time to our facility in New Hampshire.

Benefits

Alene offers a host of competitive benefits for full-time employees, some of which include: Medical, Dental, and Vision with a Healthcare Reimbursement Account, 401(k) with company match, Basic Life Insurance (100% company paid), Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending Account, Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement and “Alene Gives Back” – our paid volunteer program.

Alene Candles provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Should you require assistance completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact recruitment@alene.com or call 614-933-4005 and ask to speak to Human Resources. We will make every effort to accommodate your needs in a reasonable amount of time.