Continuous Improvement Specialist
Alcoa · Indiana
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 60+ years
- Industry
- Metals
- Posted
- 29 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist continuous improvement role at Alcoa (metals) in Indiana. Analyze operational data and observe processes on the plant floor to identify short- and long-term opportunities, translate insights into priorities and monitor progress.
- They ask for
- 60+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value stream mapping, Root cause, DMAIC
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
Your game plan for this job
Most people just hit Apply. Do these first and you show up with someone on the inside.
- 1
Find 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at this site
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply most.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
Ask about the work, not for a referral. We write it for you.
- 3
Have a 15-minute chat
Good questions for this role:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply, ideally with a referral
Ask if they'd refer you or introduce you to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link and tell them the day you apply.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
About the role
About the role
You will help advance operational excellence across Warrick Operations, with primary focus on the Potroom and Carbon Plant while supporting improvement priorities across the site. This role is not simply about solving problems for others. You will coach, facilitate and build team capability so employees can identify issues, use structured methods and become increasingly autonomous in improving performance. Success requires the ability to connect what you observe in the field with process data, influence change and adapt quickly as business priorities evolve.
Key responsibilities
· Advance the Warrick Lean Plan through the Alcoa Business System framework, using Lean and continuous improvement methods to identify waste, improve flow and strengthen execution.
· Coach supervisors, operators and cross-functional teams in daily management practices, including shift handoffs, toolbox meetings and Daily Management System meetings.
· Facilitate Kaizen events, workshops and structured problem-solving sessions that engage the people closest to the work, clarify root causes and build practical action plans.
· Analyze operational data and observe processes on the plant floor to identify short- and long-term opportunities, translate insights into priorities and monitor progress.
· Guide improvement initiatives using appropriate structured approaches, including process mapping, value-stream mapping, PDCA and DMAIC principles, while aligning work to site priorities.
· Lead the people side of change by communicating clearly, influencing stakeholders, adapting to changing priorities and helping teams own and sustain improvements safely.
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Shape Your World
At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper & world-shaper.
Shape your world by helping teams turn operational challenges into lasting capability.
As a Continuous Improvement Specialist at Warrick Operations, you will combine hands-on industrial experience, Lean thinking, data insight and strong people skills to support a major step-change effort. You will work closely with leaders, supervisors and employees on the plant floor, coaching teams to solve problems, strengthen daily management and sustain better ways of working.
What you bring
· A bachelor’s degree in chemical, metallurgical, industrial, manufacturing or process engineering, or in business or a related field combined with relevant heavy-industry experience.
· Three to five years of experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment, with practical exposure to Lean systems and continuous improvement. Six Sigma certification is welcomed but not required.
· Demonstrated ability to coach and facilitate rather than simply provide the answer, helping operators and teams build confidence and ownership in problem solving.
· Strong communication, collaboration and change-management skills, including the confidence to engage stakeholders at different levels and gain support for a shared direction.
· Strong digital and analytical skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office tools such as Excel and PowerPoint; experience with Power BI, process software or coding is an advantage.
· A safety-first, curious and adaptable approach, with the ability to spend meaningful time on the plant floor, compare observations with data and shift priorities in a fast-moving environment.
How you will work
You will be part of a small, collaborative continuous improvement team and will partner broadly across Warrick Operations. The strongest candidates will bring credibility in an industrial setting, curiosity about how work is performed, and the ability to help people move through change. You will take accountability, communicate clearly, prioritize and execute, and contribute to a safe, inclusive and collaborative environment.
What we offer
· Flexible spending accounts and generous employer contribution to the HSA
· 401(k), employer match up to 6%, additional employer retirement income contribution (no vesting period), and a nonqualified deferred compensation plan
· Holiday Pay: 10 holidays and one flexible holiday of your choice.
· Alcoa has been chosen as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2023 by Newsweek
Ready to turn ideas into practical improvements and help teams build lasting capability? Join Alcoa and shape your world.
About the Location
Alcoa “Warrick” based in Newburgh, Indiana just outside of Evansville, IN has been present in the lives of many families in our community for over 60 years. We’ve grown and we’ve matured together. Now we are looking for our next generation of Alcoans to bring us into the future. You can be one of them! Join us and get ready to experience endless opportunities!
We are values led, vision driven and united by our purpose of transforming raw potential into real progress. Our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity include providing trusting workplaces that are safe, respectful and inclusive of all individuals, free from discrimination, bullying and harassment and that our workplaces reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.
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