Process Engineer – Lean Six Sigma & Continuous Improvement

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $103k–$147k. This one lists $72k–$88k.

Median of the low and high ends of 125 live postings that list pay, out of 382 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

South Dakota plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 381 other live lean / ci postings in the US.

Base pay

About 35% below similar roles

Typical $101k–$145k, from 115 postings that list pay.

Experience asked

Typical (5+ years)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

• ✓ Lean 86%
• ✓ Six Sigma 50%
• Kaizen 46%
• Value stream mapping 43%
• Root cause 40%
• 5S 28%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Extrusion, 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. 1

   Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Norsk Hydro

   Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

2. 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. 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?
   • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4. 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. 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.