Process Excellence Engineer

Process Excellence Engineer (Factory)

Company: Recliners India Limited
Department: Operations / Process Excellence
Location: Factory On-site
Reporting To: Plant Head / Head Operations
Experience: 2–5 Years
Qualification: B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical, Industrial, or Production Engineering

1. About the Role

We are looking for a Process Excellence Engineer to drive operational efficiency, process improvement, and waste reduction at our manufacturing facility. The candidate will work closely with shop-floor teams to identify bottlenecks, optimise production processes, improve material utilisation, and implement Lean Manufacturing practices.

The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in the seating or furniture manufacturing industry, particularly in cutting, sewing, foam processing, frame manufacturing, upholstery, and assembly.

2. Key Responsibilities

Process Improvement & Optimisation

• Analyse existing manufacturing processes and identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Optimise production layouts, workflow, line balancing, and material movement.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) and standard work practices.
• Conduct time-and-motion studies to establish standard processing times.

Lean Manufacturing & Waste Reduction

• Implement Lean Manufacturing tools, including 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, SMED, and Value Stream Mapping.
• Identify and eliminate production waste, unnecessary movement, waiting time, and excess work-in-progress.
• Improve the utilisation of raw materials, including fabric, leather, foam, and wood.
• Reduce scrap, rework, and material wastage.

Production Efficiency

• Monitor labour productivity, machine utilisation, cycle time, and production efficiency.
• Identify and resolve production bottlenecks in coordination with cross-functional teams.
• Support capacity planning, line balancing, and production process standardisation.
• Work with maintenance and production teams to minimise machine downtime.

Continuous Improvement & Cost Reduction

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using root cause analysis, PDCA, and DMAIC methodologies.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing and conversion costs.
• Track and validate cost savings achieved through process improvement projects.
• Prepare reports and dashboards to monitor operational performance.

Coordination & Reporting

• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain teams to implement improvements.
• Present improvement proposals and performance reports to plant leadership.
• Train and guide shop-floor teams on Lean Manufacturing and process improvement practices.
• Ensure that implemented improvements are sustained through regular monitoring and standardisation.

3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Reduction in production cycle time and overall lead time.
• Improvement in labour productivity and production efficiency.
• Reduction in material wastage, scrap, and rework.
• Improvement in machine utilisation and reduction in downtime.
• Reduction in work-in-progress (WIP) inventory.
• Verified cost savings through process improvement initiatives.
• Successful implementation of Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing projects.

4. Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering principles.
• Hands-on experience with time studies, line balancing, capacity planning, and process optimisation.
• Knowledge of 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, SMED, Value Stream Mapping, and Root Cause Analysis.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and ERP systems such as SAP is preferred.
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Willingness to work hands-on in a factory and shop-floor environment.

5. Mandatory Requirements

• 2–5 years of relevant experience in the seating or furniture manufacturing industry.
• Practical exposure to manufacturing processes such as cutting, sewing, foam processing, frame manufacturing, upholstery, and assembly.
• Proven experience in at least 2–3 process improvement projects with measurable results.
• Ability to identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and demonstrate measurable improvements in productivity, quality, or cost.

6. Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
• Experience with Power BI or Minitab.
• Exposure to CAD marker making or automated cutting systems.
• Experience in establishing or strengthening a Process Excellence or Industrial Engineering function.

7. Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a data-driven, hands-on manufacturing professional who can translate process analysis into practical shop-floor improvements. The candidate should be comfortable working with production teams and plant leadership to improve productivity, reduce costs, minimise waste, and establish a culture of continuous improvement.