Continuous Improvement Specialist - LEAN Manufacturing - Forest City, NC

Job Description

Job Description

Continuous Improvement Specialist - LEAN Manufacturing - Forest City, NC

Req ID: 47788

Job Location (s): Forest City, NC, USA

Employment Type: Full Time

Segment: Danfoss Power Solutions Segment

Job Category: Supply Chain and Operations

Work Location Type: On-site

The Impact You'll Make

Are you passionate about transforming how work gets done? Do you thrive on turning ideas into action and empowering teams to perform at their best? As our CI Engineer (The Change Agent), you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Forest City, North Carolina manufacturing facility by driving continuous improvement, strengthening lean culture, and delivering measurable business results.

This is more than a CI role — it’s an opportunity to lead change, influence culture, and directly impact productivity and performance across the organization.

In this role, you’ll be at the forefront of our Lean Manufacturing journey, responsible for identifying, leading, and implementing process improvements that deliver a 10% year-on-year productivity improvement. You’ll work side-by-side with leadership and frontline employees to embed lean thinking into daily operations and ensure continuous improvement becomes part of how we work — not just a program.

What You’ll Be Doing

Lead and champion the local Lean Manufacturing initiative, driving cultural and operational transformation across the site
Develop and execute the site-level lean strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate and divisional lean standards
Actively promote a strong continuous improvement culture, engaging employees at all levels
Coordinate and lead the rollout of lean tools, activities, and improvement programs
Define, communicate, and follow up on lean manufacturing targets and improvement goals
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), identify gaps, and drive corrective actions to stay on plan
Partner with Value Stream Managers to develop rolling Tactical Implementation Plans (TIPs) that meet or exceed Danfoss Drives productivity targets
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure lean principles are embedded in daily work practices
Support productivity improvements that directly contribute to operating budgets and performance targets
Continuously build your own expertise in lean tools, methodologies, and CI best practices
Perform additional duties as needed to support site and business objectives

What We're Looking For

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field
3+ years of hands-on experience working within a robust lean manufacturing environment
Working knowledge of MRP II systems (SAP experience preferred)
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
A results-driven mindset with a proven ability to deliver measurable productivity and cost improvements
Strong leadership, communication, and coaching skills, with the ability to influence without authority
A passion for continuous improvement and developing people

What You'll Get From Us

At Danfoss, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters creativity, innovation, and a broader perspective in decision-making. When you consider this job posting, do you feel like your profile is not a perfect match? Numerous studies have found that women and people of color are more likely to apply only when they meet all requirements listed in the job posting. Even if you do not check all the boxes, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are curious to find out how you can bring new insights to the role or to Danfoss as an organization.

We are excited to offer you the following benefits with your employment:

Bonus system

Paid vacation

Retirement plan

Flexible working hours

Personal insurance

Opportunity to join Employee Resource Groups

State of the art virtual work environment

Employee Referral Program

Ready to Make a Difference?

If this role excites you, we’d love to hear from you! Apply now to start the conversation and learn more about where your career can go with us.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category.