Sr. Continuous Improvement Specialist

From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in New York: typical posted base $112k–$154k. This one lists $100k–$115k.

Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 14 continuous improvement openings in New York, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

New York plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 13 other live lean / ci postings in New York.

Base pay

About 19% below similar roles

Typical $112k–$154k, from 6 postings that list pay.

Experience asked

Not stated

Similar roles usually ask 10+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

• Lean 86%
• Six Sigma 71%
• Value stream mapping 57%
• Root cause 50%
• Kaizen 50%
• Black Belt 36%

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

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 Xylem

   We found 7 people at this company and state: 4 in this kind of role, 3 leaders, plus 2 likely hiring managers. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.

   Write to Jesus → (free)
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.

This plant: Xylem in Cheektowaga

1 other open role at this site · 7 people we found in lean / ci roles at Xylem.

• Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing