Manufacturing Engineer - Continuous Improvement

Job Title: Specialist, Manufacturing Engineering (Continuous Improvement)

Job Code: 43313
Job Location: Waco, TX
Job Schedule: 9/80 - Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off.

Job Description:
L3Harris is seeking a skilled and motivated Manufacturing Engineer/Industrial Engineer to join the Manufacturing Engineering team in Waco, Texas. This full-time onsite role will lead major continuous improvement efforts across manufacturing operations and serve as a key Industrial Engineering resource for improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and labor efficiency.

The selected candidate will apply Industrial Engineering principles to analyze workflows, labor utilization, material flow, facility and work area layout, and production methods to identify and implement sustainable operational improvements. This role will lead cross-functional initiatives that reduce waste, improve process performance, strengthen standardized work, and support site and segment operational goals.

This position requires an experienced professional who can independently lead projects under general supervision, use data to drive decision-making, and influence teams across Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management.

Essential Functions:

• Lead major continuous improvement initiatives within Manufacturing Engineering and site operations using Industrial Engineering and lean manufacturing principles.
• Analyze manufacturing processes, production workflows, labor utilization, work sequencing, line balance, and material flow to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
• Develop and optimize methods for efficient use of personnel, equipment, floor space, and capital resources.
• Facilitate root cause analysis, problem solving, and corrective action implementation for operational issues affecting safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Develop, validate, implement, and maintain labor standards, standardized work, capacity models, and productivity measurements for manufacturing and support processes.
• Evaluate and improve plant layouts, work cells, and process flow to enhance operational performance and reduce waste.
• Lead kaizen events, process improvement workshops, and other lean activities in support of site objectives and L3Harris continuous improvement strategy.
• Use data analytics and performance metrics to monitor initiatives, quantify financial and operational impact, and communicate results to site leadership.
• Support monthly and periodic reporting of improvement projects, productivity gains, cost savings, and key operational metrics.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to prioritize, implement, and sustain process improvements across the site.
• Provide coaching and training to employees and teams on Industrial Engineering methods, continuous improvement tools, and disciplined execution.
• Contribute to department and site planning efforts through execution of projects and initiatives with moderate impact on operational results.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently under general supervision while leading cross-functional projects and process improvements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain processes, influence decisions, and gain cooperation across departments.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance, if required for the role.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Engineering, or a related field and a minimum of 4 years of prior related experience.
• Graduate degree and a minimum of 2 years of prior related experience.
• In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 8 years of prior related experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Industrial Engineering principles, continuous improvement methods, and manufacturing process optimization.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects or process improvements in manufacturing, aerospace, MRO, industrial operations, or other complex production environments.
• Demonstrated experience in labor standards development, productivity analysis, workflow improvement, and operational performance measurement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree concentration in Industrial/Manufacturing/Process Engineering strongly preferred.
• Experience in aerospace manufacturing, aircraft MRO, or non-repetitive / design-to-order production environments.
• Experience with lean tools such as value stream mapping, standard work, 5S, visual management, root cause analysis, and waste reduction.
• Green Belt certification or higher or demonstrated experience leading formal continuous improvement projects.
• Experience with SAP, Business Warehouse, Excel-based modeling, AI, Power BI, SQL, Python, or similar data and productivity tools.
• Experience with facility layout, capacity planning, labor planning, and manufacturing systems improvement.
• Ability to communicate process improvement opportunities to senior leadership with emphasis on waste elimination, variation reduction, and operational execution.

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