Lean Manufacturing Specialist

Lean Manufacturing SpecialistAero Alliance, a joint venture between GE Vernova and Baker Hughes, is seeking a hands-on Lean Manufacturing Specialist to serve as a key driver of our transformation at the Jayport facility in Houston. This is not a "desk-job" role. We are looking for an operational leader who spends their time on the shop floor, working side-by-side with our technicians to repair engines that power cruise ships, refineries, and major power plants. If you are a practitioner who thrives on turning chaos into flow and prefers the "shop floor" over the "conference room," this is the role for you. The successful candidate will be responsible for defining, developing, and implementing lean improvement projects that align with strategic business objectives. This role involves promoting the Aero Alliance cultural brand throughout the organization to achieve Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS), Quality, and overall business goals. The candidate will identify opportunities to eliminate waste and non-value-added activities, utilizing best-practice lean tools such as Kanban, Just-In-Time (JIT), Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Kitset delivery, and vendor-managed inventory to drive efficiency and cost savings in operations. Additionally, the role includes identifying processes suitable for automation and the reduction of manual effort, collaborating with all business functions to enhance overall performance.Essential Responsibilities:Lead by Doing: Be the face of Lean on the shop floor. You will facilitate, coach, and execute weekly Kaizen events to eliminate waste in real-time.Empower the Team: Teach and mentor shop-floor staff in Lean methodologies (TPS, 5S, VSM). We don't just want "solutions"—we want to build a culture where our team is empowered to solve their own problems.Drive Turnaround Strategy: You will own the process for reducing repair turnaround times. This includes mapping value streams, identifying manual bottlenecks, and proposing automation or layout changes that provide real value.Build the Business Case: You will be responsible for turning improvement ideas into reality. This includes building business cases for process changes, tracking KPIs, and presenting your results to functional leadership.Champion EHS: Safety is non-negotiable. You will ensure that every process improvement is safer, more ergonomic, and more efficient than the one before it.Basic Qualifications:Bachelor's degree from an accredited university - OR - 4+ years in a Lean manufacturing rolePractitioner First: You have 4+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment. You are comfortable in steel-toed boots and have a track record of implementing changes that actually "stick."A Teacher at Heart: You have exceptional communication skills. You can explain complex Lean concepts to a shop-floor operator as easily as you can present a status update to senior leadership.Results-Oriented: You have a proven record of driving operational improvements (reduced lead time, improved quality, or cost reduction) through data-driven problem solving.Change Agent: You understand that Lean is 20% tools and 80% change management. You know how to navigate resistance and build consensus.Desired Characteristics:Lean Certification (Green or Black Belt) preferredAutoCAD or other design software experience highly desirableFull working knowledge and application of Lean conceptsEffective communication skills; comfortable presenting projects, facilitating Lean events, and coaching othersProven record of implementing and inspiring continuous improvement culture in an organizationStrong analytical and problem-solving abilities for identifying improvement opportunitiesChange management skills to drive process implementations and process improvements across multiple departmentsFluent in English and interest in international networking.