Continuous Improvement Engineer, IEM360

About IEM

Industrial Electric Mfg. (IEM) is the largest independent full-line manufacturer of custom power distribution systems in North America. Founded more than 75 years ago in Fremont, California, IEM grew alongside Silicon Valley and today operates over 1.7 million square feet of manufacturing capacity. With $1B+ in annual sales and 10,000+ commissioned projects across technology, data centers, commercial, energy, utilities, healthcare, industrial, and infrastructure markets, IEM continues to deliver exceptional product quality, dependable service, and the flexibility to meet complex technical requirements at scale.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The purpose of the Continuous Improvement Engineer, IEM360 role is to provide high-impact support role responsible for deploying and sustaining our enterprise-wide operating system across functions and sites. Modeled on world-class systems such as the Danaher Business System and Crane Business System, IEM360 is IEM’s framework for driving continuous improvement, lean enterprise transformation, and strategic execution. The IEM360 CI Engineer partners with functional and plant leaders to drive measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Growth.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

• The position requires collaboration with other roles to drive measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Lead IEM360 Deployment:

• Drive the implementation of IEM Business System tools and processes across operations, supply chain, engineering, and commercial functions, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

Kaizen Facilitation:

• Plan, lead, and coach cross-functional kaizen events focused on lean fundamentals, standard work, visual management, flow, problem-solving, and strategic growth/capacity initiatives.

Capability Building:

• Develop internal capability by training and coaching team members and leaders at all levels in lean thinking, daily management, and continuous improvement practices.

Business System Maturity:

• Assess business system maturity across plants and functions; create and execute improvement roadmaps using tools such as maturity models, Hoshin Kanri, tiered daily management, and KPI dashboards.

Change Leadership:

• Act as a catalyst for cultural transformation, enabling teams to embrace standardization, accountability, and data-driven decision-making.

Performance Management:

• Partner with site leadership to embed IEM360 into key processes such as policy deployment (Hoshin), S&OP, new product introduction, and operational reviews.

Best Practice Sharing:

• Identify, document, and disseminate internal best practices. Benchmark against external best-in-class organizations and adapt appropriately for IEM.

COMPETENCIES:

• Proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and manage responsibilities with minimal supervision.

• Hands-on leader and coach; thrives on the shop floor and in frontline engagement.

• High emotional intelligence with the ability to influence without authority.

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building structure in evolving organizations.

• Results-driven, with a bias for action and accountability.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills and attention to detail.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Operations, or a related field; MBA or Master’s preferred.

• 3-5 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement, preferably in a multi-site or matrixed industrial environment.

• Deep understanding of Lean principles (e.g., 5S, value stream mapping, standard work, visual management, PDCA, SMED, A3 problem-solving).

• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional kaizen events and system-wide CI initiatives.

• Understanding of basic ops finance, including P&L impact, cost drivers, and fixed vs. variable costs

• Strong facilitation, project management, and communication skills.

• Experience working in or with a formal business system (e.g., DBS, CBS, strongly preferred.

• Willingness to travel (~25%) across IEM’s manufacturing locations.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL/ENVIRONMENTAL:

Physical Demands: Activities: Sitting – 60% Walking/Standing – 40%

Lifting: Must be able to lift up to 20lbs.

Vision: Long periods of close work on a computer screen.

Mental Demands: Interpret, analyze, research and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Environment: Climate controlled office and non-climate-controlled production floor.

Why Join IEM

At IEM, you’ll join a team that powers some of the world’s most ambitious projects. We’re engineers, makers, and problem-solvers who thrive on tackling complex challenges and delivering solutions that keep industries moving forward. If you’re driven, collaborative, and ready to make an impact, we’d love to hear from you. Your creativity and passion can help us achieve great things—come be part of the journey.

Learn more about IEM at https://www.iemfg.com

We offer comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees' well-being, growth, and long-term success. View a snapshot of our benefits at https://www.iemfg.com/careers

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