Continuous Improvement Engineer

Continuous Improvement Engineer Location: Sittingbourne, Kent Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30am–4:00pm, Friday early finish c.£40k-45k + benefits + progression Contact: Emily or Sammy, Pearson Whiffin Recruitment A growing, highly specialised manufacturing business in Kent is looking for a Continuous Improvement Engineer who genuinely enjoys making things better, not just talking about improvement in meetings. This is a role for someone who likes being out on the shop floor, challenging processes, solving problems properly and getting buy-in from teams across the business. You’ll be joining a company that is investing heavily in improvement, modernisation and long-term growth, where your ideas won’t disappear into a spreadsheet and never be actioned. You’ll work closely with operational, engineering and quality teams to identify inefficiencies, improve processes and help drive a stronger continuous improvement culture across the site. The business operates within a complex, precision-led manufacturing environment, so this role would suit someone who enjoys technical challenges and can balance hands-on practicality with analytical thinking. What you’ll be doing: Leading and supporting Lean and CI projects across manufacturing operations Driving improvements around efficiency, waste reduction, workflow and productivity Using structured problem-solving tools to investigate recurring issues and implement long-term fixes Working directly with shop-floor teams to improve processes and standards Supporting Kaizen activities, visual management and process mapping Analysing operational data and KPIs to identify trends and opportunities Helping embed a proactive, improvement-focused mindset across the business What we’re looking for: Experience within a manufacturing, engineering or production environment Strong understanding of Lean / Continuous Improvement methodologies Someone practical and hands-on who enjoys being visible on the shop floor Experience using tools such as 5 Why, 8D, DMAIC, Kaizen or Six Sigma Confidence influencing people across different departments and levels A proactive mindset with the ability to challenge processes constructively Strong communication and problem-solving skills Lean qualifications or Six Sigma accreditation would be beneficial, but attitude and approach are just as important as certifications. Why this role stands out: Genuine opportunity to influence change and see the impact of your work Growing business with strong investment and ambitious plans Collaborative environment where improvement ideas are listened to Early finish Fridays Long-term progression and development opportunities Varied role with a mix of strategic improvement and hands-on involvement This role would suit someone currently working as a Continuous Improvement Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, Process Engineer, Lean Engineer or similar within a technical manufacturing environment