Senior Continuous Improvement Engineer

Title: Senior Continuous Improvement Engineer

Location: Plymouth, MN

Duration: 6 Months

100%Onsite

Key Responsibilities

1. Production Floor Engagement (70%+)

• Maintain a strong daily presence on the production floor, acting as the first-line engineering resource for operators and supervisors.
• Build deep process knowledge across all stations and understand how work content, takt time, and staffing impact throughput.
• Support operators in issue resolution, performance visibility, and process adherence.

2. Line Balancing & Goal Alignment

• Learn and interpret the line balance to understand expected performance at each station and for the entire line.
• Translate line-balance expectations into clear, actionable performance goals for operators and supervisors.
• Adjust monthly goals to reflect changing headcount, learning curves, product mix, and ramp conditions.

3. Performance Analysis & Feedback

• Measure true line performance and compare it to expected performance from the line balance.
• Identify stations performing above expectation, validate the root cause of over-performance, and update goals accordingly.
• Highlight stations performing below expectation and escalate issues, gather data, or coordinate cross-functional support.
• Communicate performance insights effectively to operations teams in a concise and actionable manner.

4. Cycle Time & Station Optimization

• Conduct time studies, observe operator methods, and quantify variation in work steps across operators.
• Drive cycle-time consistency, standardize best practices, and reduce variation across the team.
• Develop and support execution of incremental improvement roadmaps for target stations.
• Partner with supervisors, technicians, and engineers to implement process improvements, layout adjustments, and waste removal.

5. Continuous Improvement & Shop-Floor Support

• Facilitate quick feedback loops for issues affecting throughput, quality, or safety.
• Assist with creation or updates of standard work, operator instructions, and training materials.
• Support improvement events (Kaizens), rapid experiments, data collection, and pilot runs.
• Ensure that changes implemented on the floor are followed, measured, and sustained.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering discipline, ex: Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 0–3 years of experience in manufacturing, production engineering, or continuous improvement preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in basic data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI, or equivalent).
• Strong communication skills and ability to work closely with front-line teams.
• Competency in time studies, takt time analysis, and basic capacity modeling (preferred but trainable).
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving production environment.
• Desire to be involved with day-to-day operations – working/shadowing/coaching product builders
• Strong ability to be a self starter
• Strong follow-up, execution and organizational skills

Consultants Eligible Benefits Upon Waiting Period:

• Medical and Prescription Drug Plans
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Health Savings Account (for High-Deductible Health Plans)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health, Limited Purpose, Dependent Care, Commuter Parking and Commuter Transit)
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability (coverage varies by state)
• Long Term Disability
• Critical Illness, Hospital coverage, Accident Insurance
• MetLife Legal, MetLife ID Fraud, and MetLife Pet Insurance
• 401(k)

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritional and branded generic medicines.

Working together, Abbott and Talent Solutions partner to deliver top talent for contingent roles at Abbott, building better and healthier lives. Abbott believes all employees are essential to creating life-changing breakthroughs, performing key duties to create life-changing breakthroughs.