Senior Product Industrialization Expert - Hydraulic Hose

Continental is a leading tire manufacturer and industry specialist that develops and produces sustainable, safe and convenient solutions for automotive manufacturers as well as industrial and end customers worldwide. Founded in 1871, the company generated sales of 39.7 billion in 2024 and currently employs around 95,000 people in 54 countries and markets.

ContiTech is one of the world's leading industry specialists. The Continental group sector offers its customers connected, environment-friendly, safe and convenient industry and service solutions using a range of materials for off-highway applications, on rails and roads, in the air, under and above the ground, in industrial environments, for the food sector and the furniture industry. With about 39,000 employees in more than 40 countries and sales of some 6.4 billion euros (2024), the global industrial partner is active with core branches in Asia, Europe and North and South America.

The Senior Industrialization Engineer - is responsible for industrialization excellence across the IAM organization. This role ensures that new products, technologies, and engineering changes are industrialized and transferred into serial production in a scalable, robust, and cost-effective manner across multiple manufacturing sites.

Serving as an SME to manufacturing plants, this position leads complex industrialization initiatives and ensures consistent launch readiness, process capability, and stable production performance. Leveraging deep expertise in hydraulic hose manufacturing processes and product-process interactions, the role drives problem solving, standardization, risk mitigation, continuous improvement, and alignment with global industrialization strategies.

The position is responsible for the industrialization of products across multiple hydraulic hose plants within IAM, directly influencing the successful execution, industrialization, and continuous improvement of products representing approximately 300 M in annual revenue.

Location: ContiTech Fairlawn OH, Open to locations in Norfolk, NE or Mount Pleasant IA.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Serve as Business Area technical authority for hydraulic hose manufacturing processes, ensuring consistent standards and capability across all sites.

• Lead end-to-end industrialization of new products from design definition through launch and stable serial production.

• Provide expert guidance on manufacturing technologies, materials, and assembly processes, including escalation and problem-solving support.

• Define and optimize processes, equipment concepts, tooling, and layouts to meet safety, quality, cost, scalability, and capability targets.

• Drive DFM/DFA alignment with Product Development, Quality, Operations, and cross-functional teams.

• Provide technical support for engineering changes to ensure controlled, disruption-free implementation.

• Lead improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

• Support structured problem-solving using Lean and Six Sigma tools (A3, 8D, DMAIC, SPC, MSA).

• Lead optimization initiatives addressing cycle time, yield, scrap, and cost.

• Deploy and govern manufacturing best practices and technical standards to ensure consistency and long-term process robustness.

• Support PPI Leadership with reviewing post-launch manufacturing performance to ensure stable serial production and compliance with industrialization standards.

• Support PPI Leadership with monitoring of KPIs for quality, efficiency, capability, and cost to ensure sustained technical performance.

• Identify and assess industrialization risks and coordinate mitigation actions with plant teams.

• Analyze trends and deviations to prevent recurrence and drive proactive improvement.

• Support PPI Leadership with reporting of of performance, risks, and improvement actions to PPI, Business Area leadership, and Management.

• Drive implementation and adherence to global product and process standards across locations.

• Define, maintain, and deploy technical guidelines and best practices in alignment with sector and plant teams.

• Serve as subject matter expert for hydraulic hose industrialization, providing training, coaching, and technical support to engineers and plant teams.

• Support introduction of new technologies, materials, and processes through proper validation, documentation, and standardization.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Chemical, or a related engineering or science fields

• 7+ years of extensive experience in Process and Manufacturing Engineering, with expertise in hydraulic hose manufacturing processes.

• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in rubber and plastic production processes and ramp-up projects.

• Product and process industrialization technologies, systems, standards, and infrastructure

• Industrial engineering fundamentals and methods

• Design and product manufacturing test processes

• Problem-solving and decision-making tools (A3, 8D, DMAIC, SPC, MSA, etc.)

• Project management tools, methods, and execution

• Product lifecycle processes

• Quality Core Tools (PFMEA, APQP, MSA, R&R, flowcharting, process control plans)

• Lean production / CBS principles, methods, and tools

• Proficiency in English is mandatory

• Travel approximately 70-80% domestically and within the Americas region.

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas now or in the future for this job posting.

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO STAND OUT

• Leading Projects and specific teams (giving direction, feedback, motivation)

• Strong Communication skills

• Experienced working with international teams on production topics and understanding of foreign cultures

• Deep expertise in the processes (Mandrel Preparation, Extrusion, Braiding, Cover, Assembly, Curing, Blow out, Pressure Test and Crimping)

• Core hose manufacturing processes (mandrel preparation, extrusion, braiding, cover, curing, blow-out, pressure testing, etc.)

THE PERKS

· Immediate Benefits

· Paid Time Off

· Tuition Assistance & Employee Discounts

· Employer 401(k) Match

· Competitive Bonus Programs

· Employee Assistance Program

· Future Growth Opportunities, including personal and professional

· And many more benefits that come with working for a global industry leader!

EEO-Statement:

EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Continental offers equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, without regard to unlawful consideration to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. In addition, as a federal contractor, Continental complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals with a disability and protected veterans, where they apply. To be considered, you must apply for a specific position for which Continental has a current posted job opening. Qualifying applications will be considered only for the specific opening(s) to which you apply. If you would like to be considered for additional or future job openings, we encourage you to reapply for other opportunities as they become available. Further, Continental provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance in the application process, please reply to [email protected] or contact US Recruiting at 800-821-2727. This telephone line and email address are reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Please do not call about the status of your job application, if you do not require accessibility assistance or an accommodation. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or non-disability related technical issues, will not receive a call back.

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