Lean Manufacturing Engineer

Technical Center, 6715 South Sprinkle Rd, Portage, Michigan, United States of America

Posted Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM

Summit Polymers is a leading, global supplier of automotive interior systems including consoles, door panels, and instrument panels. With over 50 years serving the industry, we deliver engineering and product excellence to our customers, on time, in budget, with the latest innovations.

A career with Summit Polymers means working with smart people in a culture that thrives on challenging, meaningful work. At Summit, we look for growth potential with every hire. We don’t just fill seats, we set people on career paths. We’re always on the lookout for smart people who are committed to continuous improvement, customer service and quality.

Manufacturing Engineer, Corporate SLMS

Exempt

Manager, Corporate SLMS

The Corporate SLMS Engineer is a technical and plant floor focused leadership position with an emphasis on improving manufacturing operations across the corporation using SLMS (Summit Lean Manufacturing System – developed from Toyota Production System).

Performs training, auditing, and continuous improvement activities in support of domestic and international manufacturing plant operations:

• Conducts routine SLMS Audits and leads corresponding kaizen activities
• Leads Standardized Work training events to develop or improve existing standard work conditions
• Analyzes methods and manufacturing processes for improvement, simplification, and cost reduction using kaizen mentality and standardized work development tools
• Identifies barriers to successful program launches and provides support for new program development activities when required
• Special project kaizen activities per plant request to improve efficiency of operations
• Participates in PPS (Practical Problem Solving) activities

Leads corporate SLMS activities:

• Assists in preparation and leadership of semi-annual corporate SLMS group kaizen activities (Jishuken) at selected manufacturing plants.
• Prepares and participates in leading bi-weekly SLMS meetings, facilitating reviews of plant kaizen events, company standards & best practices, and innovations
• Develop best-practices based on observations and presentations to spread company-wide (Yokoten)
• Maintains, improves and updates SLMS training materials and documentation
• Leads “Train the trainer” activities for SLMS engineers on standardized work and SLMS training courses
• Audits current bill of material (BOM) standards to ensure accurate measurement of operational work performance

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or technical field
• 1-3 years of experience in a lean manufacturing role in the automotive industry is preferred

• Hands‑on individual who prefers the shop floor to an office environment
• A passion for the Toyota Production System
• Ability and willingness to learn from shop floor experiences
• Highly energetic, confident, and assertive with the ability to lead and motivate others
• Strong Communication skills and ability to train to the plant SLMS Engineers and functional managers
• Ability to interact and build consensus with individuals at all levels throughout the organization
• Demonstrated success in project management
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite