About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Scientific & QA.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Role overview

Confidential Client is seeking an Operational Excellence Specialist based in Downey, IL (Chicagoland area). This entry-level to early-career role supports continuous improvement programs (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen) to improve performance, quality, productivity, and customer experience across operations. The position is full-time and on-site — candidates must be located within the Chicagoland area.

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What You’ll Work On

This role partners with operational teams and the Operational Excellence Leader to plan, execute, and sustain process improvements. Typical responsibilities include:

• Support planning and execution of continuous improvement initiatives
• Assist with process mapping, root cause analysis, and corrective action plans
• Promote Lean tools: standard work, 5S, visual management, and structured problem solving
• Build and maintain dashboards, reports, and visual controls to track performance
• Conduct process observations to identify waste and inefficiencies
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement best practices
• Support training, employee engagement, and sustainment activities
• Identify and quantify opportunities to improve efficiency and the customer/employee experience

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Basic qualifications (minimum)

Candidates must meet one of the following education/experience paths:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or Science plus a minimum of 2 years in operations, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, supply chain, engineering, project management, or related field OR
• Associate’s degree plus 6+ years of relevant experience OR
• High school diploma/GED plus 8+ years of relevant experience

Additional required skills and attributes:

• Working knowledge of improvement tools and continuous improvement methodologies
• Strong organization and problem‑solving skills; data-driven process thinking
• Ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment
• Clear verbal and written communication skills at multiple organizational levels
• Willingness to lead or participate in improvement events and project teams

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Preferred qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt or Green Belt certification
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel) and basic data visualization
• Prior exposure to continuous improvement in manufacturing, distribution, or supply-chain environments

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Compensation & location

• Base pay range: $50,700 — $101,300 per year (Confidential Client). In specific locations, the pay range may vary.
• This role is not remote. Candidates must be located in the Chicagoland area and able to work on-site in Downey, IL.

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Benefits & career development

Confidential Client offers competitive benefits and career development programs, including healthcare options, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement/education assistance, and internal mobility for growth. Specific benefits details will be provided during the recruitment process.

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Equal employment & accommodations

Confidential Client and Careertakes are committed to equal employment opportunity. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities during the hiring process; please notify the recruiter if you require assistance.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.