Position Description and Responsibilities

The Continuous Improvement Specialist initiates and maintains relationships with manufacturers, assesses their challenges and opportunities, supports IMEC consulting teams by helping manufacturing clients optimize their performance, and sells IMEC's manufacturing improvement capabilities and resources.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide direct consultation to manufacturers within their own area of expertise
• Prepare proposals
• Deliver sales presentations
• Manage project engagements
• Develop and manage subcontractors.
• Participate on IMEC's service development and process improvement teams.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree with 3+ years experience working with manufacturing companies with a career progression that includes leadership responsibility. Master's degree preferred. An emphasis in Engineering, Technology, Marketing, or Operations Management is preferred.

Candidates should be sincerely interested in helping manufacturers implement new manufacturing techniques and processes. Must have good computer skills and be a strong written and verbal communicator. An IMEC Technical Specialist will need tact and diplomacy in dealing with manufacturers, professional associations, government stakeholder representatives, and other service providers.

Particular consideration will be given to candidates with the proven ability to lead companies down a path of continuous improvement, with the demonstrated capacity to diagnose company needs and effectively communicate value to all levels of the company, from production personnel to top management. Experience in providing services in one or more of the following areas: strategic marketing, information technology, strategic and operational planning, lean manufacturing & waste reduction, plant layout, process optimization, product development, quality systems, Six Sigma, and supply chain development.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to synthesize and present highly technical data succinctly to nontechnical business executives, and interact effectively with all levels of a manufacturing organization.

Position requires a combination of virtual work and regular travel with occasional extended travel to remote facilities across the state. Driving is an essential function of the job. Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. This position has a lifting requirement of up to 70 pounds. Applicants must be capable of accessing manufacturing facilities which may not be ADA accessible. Please submit an electronic application, including (1) cover letter, (2) resume, and (3) the names and contact information for three references. The University of Illinois conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. IMEC and its Subrecipient organizations, including Bradley University, SIU, NIU, and UIC are EOE/AA/M/F/Disabled/Veteran Employers.

About IMEC

IMEC is a team of improvement specialists and technicians dedicated to providing organizations in Illinois with the tools and techniques to create sustainable competitive futures. The experienced hands-on team at IMEC works closely with its clients to plan critical business improvements in the areas of Leadership, Strategy, Customer Engagement, Operations, and Workforce.

With more than 50 full-time staff and partners positioned statewide, IMEC delivers the local expertise to not only plan and strategize, but to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of client improvements. In fact, IMEC assists more than 1,100 companies each year with successful business improvement projects.

IMEC team members enjoy their jobs because of the challenge in working with a variety of organizations in a broad range of industries. They also gain satisfaction from providing assistance and advisement to help organizations succeed in a demanding marketplace. Click HERE to learn more about IMEC.