Operational Excellence Engineer

Location: Columbia, MO

Work Arrangement: Onsite (40 hours)

Employment Type: 6-12 month contract (likely to hire)

Paid: $60-70/hr

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an Operational Excellence Engineer to support a highly technical, proprietary manufacturing operation in Columbia, Missouri. This individual will serve as a critical bridge between engineering, manufacturing operations, and the technician workforce, helping transform production data and technical insights into actionable improvements across the operation.

The manufacturing process is highly specialized and proprietary, so prior experience with this exact technology is not expected. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives in complex manufacturing environments and has a strong foundation in continuous improvement, Lean principles, operational data, process optimization, and technical training.

This is an opportunity to step into a unique operation where you can have a meaningful impact on how the organization measures performance, identifies systemic issues, trains its workforce, and improves day-to-day execution.

What You’ll Do

• Analyze 24-hour production performance and operational data to identify trends, gaps, and systemic issues.
• Develop a more structured and scalable training program for technicians operating within a highly complex manufacturing process.
• Modernize outdated training content and documentation to make technical information easier for new technicians to understand and apply.
• Establish processes that improve knowledge transfer from experienced employees and engineers to newer technicians.
• Support quick troubleshooting and escalation by helping identify when an issue is an isolated event versus a systemic operational problem.
• Help reduce the amount of engineering time spent responding to recurring operator needs by developing better systems, documentation, and standard work.
• Evaluate existing procedures, work instructions, and training materials for effectiveness and accuracy.
• Participate in daily tier meetings and help translate production and engineering information into actionable operational priorities.
• Develop and maintain meaningful production reports, dashboards, metrics, and data structures that enable better decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve operational consistency.
• Partner closely with manufacturing and engineering teams to identify recurring issues and drive sustainable solutions.
• Serve as a bridge between engineers who maintain the equipment/process and technicians responsible for day-to-day operation.
• Lead or support Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate across functions to implement and sustain improvements.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• Experience in manufacturing, production, operations, or a highly technical industrial environment.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, or Six Sigma methodologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to turn data into actionable recommendations.
• Experience developing reports, KPIs, dashboards, or other production performance metrics.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both engineers and operators/technicians.
• Experience developing SOPs, work instructions, training materials, or standardized work is highly desirable.
• Ability to understand complex technical processes and translate them into clear, usable information.
• Comfortable working directly on the manufacturing floor and engaging with production personnel.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple improvement opportunities simultaneously.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following environments is beneficial:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Highly automated manufacturing
• Vacuum coating processes
• Films, coatings, plastics, or polymers
• Semiconductor manufacturing
• Aerospace manufacturing
• Other highly technical or complex production environments

Experience with the specific proprietary barrier-film or vacuum technology is not required.

Disclaimer: Brooksource, Medasource, and Calculated Hire are part of the Eight Eleven Group family of companies and operate under Eight Eleven Group, LLC. All employees receive the same benefits, policies, and terms of employment.

EEO: We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related conditions), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Benefits & Perks: Brooksource offers competitive medical, dental, vision, Health Savings Account, Dependent Care FSA, and supplemental coverage with plans that can fit each employee’s needs. We offer a 401k plan that includes a company match and is fully vested after you become eligible, paid time off, sick time, and paid company holidays. We also offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides services like virtual counseling, financial services, legal services, life coaching, etc.

Pay Disclaimer: The pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

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