Digital - Lean Engineer
Corning · Hickory, NC
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Base pay
- $86k–$119k
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 23 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level continuous improvement role at Corning (industrial) in Hickory, NC.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, Value stream mapping, SMED, Kanban
- Base pay
- $86k–$119k
- Day to day
- about 10% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in North Carolina: typical posted base $112k–$154k. This one lists $86k–$119k.
Median of the low and high ends of 9 live postings that list pay, out of 22 continuous improvement openings in North Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
North Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 21 other live lean / ci postings in North Carolina.
- Base pay
- About 23% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $112k–$154k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 73%
- ✓ Value stream mapping 68%
- Kaizen 45%
- Root cause 41%
- ✓ Six Sigma 36%
- ✓ 5S 32%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Automation, MES, Power BI / Tableau, Python, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Corning
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- 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?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 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.
This plant: Corning in Hickory
17 other open roles at this site.
- Automation Process Engineer · Controls
- Operations Engineer · Production
- Sr. Controls Engineer · Controls · Senior
- Production Supervisor · Production · Supervisor
- Sr. Process Engineer · Process · Senior
- Laser Process Engineer · Process
Full description from CorningAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
into practical, scalable, secure, and supportable solutions in partnership with IT and system owners.
- ✓Improve data visibility, integrity, usability, and decision support.
- ✓Document solutions, controls, ownership, access, training, and sustainment requirements.
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Data Analytics, or a related technical field.
- ✓1-3 years of relevant manufacturing, digital or analytics experience
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Operations Experience
- ✓Lean Six Sigma certification.
- ✓Experience with Power BI, SQL, Python, SAP, MES, workflow automation, AI tools, or industrial data systems.
- ✓Experience deploying digital manufacturing or operational excellence solutions.
Work
Requirements
- ✓Travel: Up to 10%
- ✓Schedule: Typically 40 hours per week with off-shift or weekend support as business needs require.
This position does not support immigration sponsorship.
The range for this position is $86,197.00 - $118,521.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.
A job that shapes a life.
Corning offers you the total package.
- ✓Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
- ✓As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
- ✓Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
- ✓Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.
We prohibit discrimination
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Requisition Number: 78777
The company built on breakthroughs.
Join us.
Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.
How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward.
At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.
Come break through with us.
Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.
Scope of Position
The Digital / Lean Engineer improves manufacturing performance by integrating digital technologies, data analytics, automation, and Lean Manufacturing methods. The role leads improvement initiatives of moderate complexity and partners with Operations, Engineering, IT, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Finance to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and employee effectiveness.
Digital and Data Solutions
- •Develop and deploy dashboards, reporting tools, automated workflows, and digital solutions that address defined operational needs.
- •Translate business
Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement
- •Plan and facilitate improvement activities using methods such as Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Visual Management, 5S, SMED, Kanban, flow, pull, and problem solving.
- •Identify waste, constraints, and performance losses using process observation and data analysis.
- •Develop implementation plans, track actions, verify results, and support sustainment.
Project and Change Leadership
- •Lead digital and Lean projects of moderate complexity from definition through implementation.
- •Develop project scope, schedules, benefit estimates, risks, stakeholder plans, and training.
- •Promote adoption through employee engagement, coaching, communication, and change-management practices.
Governance and Collaboration
- •Follow applicable cybersecurity, data privacy, access control, change management, record retention, and intellectual property requirements.
- •Partner with Finance and process owners to validate projected and realized benefits
Measures of Success
- •Verified safety, quality, delivery, productivity, or cost improvement
- •Digital solution adoption, reliability, usability, and sustainment
- •Lean capability and employee participation
- •Project delivery and validated benefit realization
- •Compliance with data governance, cybersecurity, and change-control