Industrial Engineering & Operational Excellence Specialist

Position title: Industrial Engineering & Operational Excellence Specialist
Reporting to: EMEA Manufacturing Engineering and Operational Excellence Director
Location: Nove Mesto, Slovakia or other EMEA location (multi-site support)
date: February 19th, 2026

Role Statement:

The Industrial Engineering & Operational Excellence Specialist drives measurable improvements, capacity gains, and ramp-up/stabilization activities across EMEA Operations through shopfloor-based Kaizen execution and Six Sigma problem solving, with validated and signed off benefits.

Key Responsibilities:
• Lead shopfloor-based Kaizen events across EMEA sites: identify opportunities at Gemba, define scope, run workshops, implement countermeasures, and ensure sustainment.
• Execute Industrial Engineering analyses to unlock capacity and productivity (time studies, work measurement, line balancing, takt/capacity calculations, labour optimization, layout & material flow improvements).
• Support ramp-up and stabilization of new and existing assembly / sub-assembly / test lines: readiness checks, bottleneck removal, standard work creation, training support, and performance stabilization.
• Translate OPS leadership priorities (cost-out, capacity increase, throughput, lead time, quality losses) into clear improvement charters with targets, timing, and owners.
• Apply Lean toolset to eliminate waste, improve flow and drive structured problem solving using Six Sigma / DMAIC and root-cause tools with a control mechanism to prevent recurrence.
• Own benefits realization from baseline through validation: quantify gains, document assumptions, and lead the savings validation and sign-off process with Finance.
• Coach and influence site teams through “lead by example” behaviours aligned to High Performance Culture; build local capability to sustain improvements after deployment.
• Provide clear Kaizen documentation and leadership updates (A3s, before/after, KPI impact, action tracking).

Job Requirements:
• University degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in Industrial Engineering, Operational Excellence / CI, Lean Manufacturing, or manufacturing process improvement (shopfloor-based).
• Proven delivery of measurable improvements (capacity, productivity, cost, lead time, quality losses) with documentation from baseline to sustainment.
• Practical application of Lean toolset (standard work, line balancing, visual management, waste elimination, 5S, problem solving at Gemba).
• Working knowledge of Six Sigma / DMAIC and root-cause methods; comfortable with data collection and analysis in production (time studies, Pareto, 5-Why, fishbone).
• Ability to lead Kaizen workshops and drive implementation with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Competences:
• Automotive background or exposure to high-discipline production systems (TPS, VSM-driven factories, high-mix/high-volume).
• Lean / Six Sigma certification (Lean Leader, Yellow/Green Belt) or equivalent proven track record.
• Ownership mindset aligned with High Performance Culture: leads by example, drives accountability, coaches teams, and sustains standards.
• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder management; can influence without formal authority and handle resistance constructively.
• High discipline, reliability, and follow-through; able to deliver results on short deployment cycles.
• Financial acumen to translate operational gains into validated benefits; comfortable partnering with Finance to secure sign-off.