Operational Excellence Engineer

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

     

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Operational Excellence Engineer

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.

• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.

• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution

• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity ​

Our location in Abbott Park, IL currently has an opportunity for an Operational Excellence Engineer. The Operational Excellence Engineer will support and advance the TM site’s continuous improvement strategy by leading moderate‑complexity OpEx/Lean initiatives, coaching employees in Lean tools, and supporting operational performance improvement across the plant. This role strengthens operational capability by establishing and sustaining visual management systems, improving data understanding, and engaging employees in Lean techniques, tools, and problem-solving behaviors. The position leverages data analytics, automation, and applied AI solutions to improve productivity, quality, cost, planning accuracy, and operational stability while maintaining compliance and quality standards.

What You’ll Work On

• Serve as a Continuous Improvement Champion, fostering a culture of transformational change and continuous improvement across Operations while maintaining or improving quality and compliance.
• Drive improvements in productivity, quality, cost, and operational reliability by identifying, leading, and executing OpEx and continuous improvement projects.
• Actively deploy the OpEx strategy using Lean, Six Sigma, standard work, and structured, data‑driven problem‑solving methodologies.
• Lead end‑to‑end process improvement initiatives, applying OpEx/Lean tools and analytics to deliver measurable and sustainable results.
• Support the technical deployment of OpEx initiatives, including digital, analytics‑driven, and automation‑enabled solutions.
• Establish, sustain, and continuously improve visual management systems, including Power BI dashboards, automated reports, and KPI tracking to enable teams to understand and act on plant performance (OpEx, TPM, yield, throughput, exceptions, and cost).
• Partner cross‑functionally with Operations, Engineering, Planning, Supply Chain, and Quality to translate operational challenges into data‑supported improvement and automation opportunities.
• Apply data analysis and trend evaluation to support root cause analysis and ensure durable corrective and preventive actions.
• Influence and motivate teams to adopt and sustain Lean techniques such as standard work, RCS, 5S, Kaizen, and visual management.
• Act as a change agent, coaching teams to learn, adopt, and sustain continuous improvement behaviors.
• Deliver Lean / OpEx training and mentor Yellow Belt candidates to ensure proper application of tools and methodologies.
• Lead and support Kaizen events, ensuring defined metrics, benefits realization, and timeline commitments are accurately tracked and reported.
• Identify, collect, monitor, and report critical OpEx performance metrics, leveraging digital and automated tools wherever possible.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, Data/ Analytics, Business, Operations or a closely related technical or business discipline.
• 2-5 years demonstrated success in applying continuous improvement/lean/Six Sigma tools in a manufacturing or operations environment.
• Project management and team leadership experience essential.
• Experience using data analytics, performance metrics, and automated reporting to support operational decision making.
• Demonstrated ability to build or leverage Power BI, Power Apps, SQL, Python, or similar tools to improve visibility, consistency, or efficiency.
• Highly motivated, structured problem solver with a customer‑focused mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred (not mandated)

Apply Now

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:  www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

     

The base pay for this position is

$61,300.00 – $122,700.00

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

     

JOB FAMILY:

Manufacturing

     

DIVISION:

TM Transfusion Medicine

        

LOCATION:

United States > Lake Forest : CP01

     

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:

     

WORK SHIFT:

Standard

     

TRAVEL:

Not specified

     

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:

No

     

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:

Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Keyboard use (greater or equal to 50% of the workday), Wear ear plugs, Work in a clean room environment, Work in noisy environment

     

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

     

EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf

     

EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf