Established in 1919 and traded on the NYSE, Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) is a leading independent manufacturer and distributor of premium automotive replacement parts utilized in the maintenance, repair, and service of vehicles in the automotive aftermarket. Additionally, SMP provides customized solutions for vehicle control and thermal management products in diversified end markets represented by its Engineered Solutions segment.
Globally, SMP employs over 6,000 employees across nearly 40 manufacturing, distribution, and engineering facilities and offices located in North America, Europe and Asia. SMP sells its products primarily to automotive aftermarket retailers, program distribution groups, warehouse distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and original equipment service part operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Mexico, and other Latin American countries.
Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Engineer Manager
(Staff Level Position)
Standard Motor Products, Independence, KS is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering and Continuous Improvement Manager to lead the plant manufacturing engineering team and serve as the facility's primary Lean facilitator.
This position will lead cross-functional improvement projects, develop the capability of plant personnel, and deliver measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and inventory.
This is a hands-on leadership role. The successful candidate will spend significant time on the production floor immersed in the day-to-day operations to include facilitating events, coaching at the point of work, and personally building the management systems this posting describes.
What you will do:
- Lead, coach, and develop the plant manufacturing engineering team, including setting expectations, prioritizing work, providing feedback, and fostering a culture of ownership and responsibility for outcomes.
- Set priorities and manage the manufacturing engineering and continuous improvement project portfolio, balancing urgent production needs with longer-term improvement work.
- Serve as the facility's primary Lean facilitator by personally planning and leading cross-functional improvement projects, Kaizen events, Gemba-based reviews, and structured problem-solving activities.
- Mentor managers, supervisors, engineers, and employees in the practical use of Lean methods, including visual management, daily accountability, standard work, leader standard work, flow, 5S, and waste elimination.
- Build visual management systems — performance boards, tiered meetings, action tracking, and escalation paths — that convert operational data into clear priorities and accountability, and that sustain momentum.
- Lead structured root-cause investigations that move teams from containment to verified root cause, permanent corrective action, and sustained prevention.
- Improve and sustain existing manufacturing processes, including methods, tooling, fixtures, workflow, labor utilization, ergonomics, process capability, and documentation.
- Partner with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Design Engineering, and Process Engineering to solve operational problems and implement sustainable improvements.
- Establish project scope, ownership, milestones, expected benefits, and measures of success; track progress and verify that operational and financial improvements are sustained.
- Support new-product and process launches and production line transfers through plant manufacturability input, production-readiness support, and post-launch stabilization.
What we are looking for:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a closely related technical field.
- Seven or more years of progressive manufacturing engineering, continuous improvement, or manufacturing operations experience.
- At least three years of direct people-management experience, preferably leading engineers or other technical professionals in a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated success as a collaborative leader who drives results by empowering their team, setting clear performance expectations and strategic goals, coaching and developing, prioritizing daily workloads, providing continuous performance feedback, and addressing performance gaps and missed commitments with a solutions-oriented, constructive approach.
- Hands-on experience leading structured problem-solving as the facilitator, not only a participant or sponsor, from problem definition through verified root cause and sustained corrective action.
- Working knowledge of A3 problem solving, 5 Why, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, process mapping, mistake-proofing, control methods, and basic statistical analysis, applied to real production problems.
- Hands-on experience designing, launching, and sustaining Lean daily management and visual management systems — tiered meetings, performance boards, action tracking, leader standard work, and Gemba routines — that remain in use over time.
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional improvement projects with measurable, data-verified results in safety, quality, delivery, cost, capacity, or inventory.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel for analysis, tracking, and reporting. Working knowledge of CAD software (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar), ERP or MES systems, and statistical software (e.g., Minitab) is preferred.
- Strong project-management, analytical, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
- Preferred: experience in a high-mix manufacturing environment; experience in automotive or similarly regulated manufacturing, including familiarity with customer quality-system requirements such as IATF 16949 and PPAP; new-product launch or production line transfer experience; Lean Six Sigma certification.
Candidates should be prepared to walk through specific improvement projects and management systems they personally led — including baseline performance, the actions taken, the results achieved, and how those results were sustained.
Why this role matters:
This is a visible plant leadership role with direct influence on operational performance. The successful candidate is responsible for strengthening Lean and problem-solving capability across the facility, and helping to convert improvement opportunities into sustained results.
Submit resume to:
Human Resources
Standard Motor Products
PO Box 788
Independence, KS 67301
Or Fax To: 620-332-1105
Or Email To: [email protected]
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Standard Motor Products is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
