Pay Range:

Position Summary:  

The Bio-Techne Minneapolis site is the company’s largest Reagent Operations Capability Center and Focused Factory, manufacturing and shipping recombinant proteins, antibodies, ELISA kits, Luminex assays, cell culture media, protein analysis instrument reagents, and other products used in academic research, biopharma drug discovery, quality control, and related applications. 

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Productivity leads hands-on productivity improvement across Minneapolis manufacturing processes, spanning upstream cell culture and laboratory-based production, downstream purification and filling, and kitting, packaging, and shipping. The role may also support other site operational functions based on the opportunities and priorities of the site. 

Reporting through site operations leadership, this role works closely with frontline employees and leaders to understand how work is performed, identify waste, bottlenecks, workload imbalance, and other constraints, and turn those observations into practical improvements. 

The role applies manufacturing engineering, Lean Manufacturing, and data-based problem solving to improve throughput, labor efficiency, cycle time, capacity utilization, equipment effectiveness, scrap, rework, yield, material utilization, and operating cost while protecting safety, quality, compliance, customer requirements, and operational continuity. 

Key Responsibilities:  

• Maintain a strong presence in manufacturing and operational areas, working directly with frontline employees and leaders to observe work, understand process challenges, and identify waste, bottlenecks, workload imbalance, waiting, unnecessary movement, rework, and ineffective handoffs. 
• Proactively identify and prioritize productivity opportunities using floor observations, operational data, employee input, and alignment with site operations leaders. 
• Use time studies, standard-labor analysis, line balancing, workload and capacity analysis, process mapping, and material-flow assessments to understand current performance and identify improvement opportunities. 
• Lead and implement high-impact process improvements that increase throughput, improve labor efficiency, reduce cycle time, eliminate bottlenecks, balance capacity and workload, improve equipment utilization and OEE where applicable, and reduce scrap, rework, yield loss, material loss, and operating cost. 
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing principles and tools, including Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, visual management, root-cause analysis, and Six Sigma methodologies to achieve measurable and sustainable results. 
• Lead focused Kaizens and productivity-improvement projects from problem definition and current-state analysis through solution development, implementation, performance measurement, and sustainment. 
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Maintenance, Engineering, and other functions to optimize manufacturing processes, improve flow, balance capacity, strengthen process and equipment performance, and resolve cross-functional barriers. 
• Support frontline leaders and teams in consistently applying standard work, visual controls, workplace-organization practices, and daily-management routines. Partner with process owners to incorporate implemented improvements into applicable process documentation. 
• Coach frontline employees and leaders in waste identification, structured problem solving, Lean principles, and improvement sustainment. Establish clear performance baselines, measure results, and support effective handoff and sustained ownership within the operating team. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing experience. 
• Five or more years of experience driving manufacturing productivity improvement, process optimization, manufacturing engineering, or operational-excellence initiatives in a manufacturing environment. 
• Demonstrated success implementing measurable improvements in throughput, labor efficiency, cycle time, capacity, process flow, equipment effectiveness, scrap, rework, yield, material utilization, or operating cost. 
• Hands-on experience with time studies, standard labor, line balancing, capacity and workload analysis, process mapping, material flow, standard work, and other manufacturing-productivity methods. 
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects and working directly with operators, technicians, supervisors, and operations leaders to implement and sustain process changes. 
• Experience in biotechnology, life sciences, or regulated manufacturing preferred but not required. 
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred. Black Belt certification, Lean certification, or equivalent continuous-improvement experience is a plus. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, work design, process flow, and manufacturing-productivity principles. 
• Strong shop-floor orientation with the ability to engage employees, understand how work is performed, and translate observations into practical improvements. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to combine operational data, direct observation, and employee knowledge to identify root causes and improvement opportunities. 
• Ability to independently lead improvement projects while aligning priorities, decisions, and implementation plans with site operations leaders. 
• Ability to influence without direct authority and work effectively with frontline employees, supervisors, functional leaders, and cross-functional partners. 
• Strong facilitation, coaching, communication, and organizational skills, with consistent follow-through on actions and commitments. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other standard business applications. Experience with statistical-analysis, data-visualization, or manufacturing-performance systems is preferred. 

Working Conditions: 

• Onsite role supporting multiple Minneapolis manufacturing and operational areas. 
• Requires regular presence in manufacturing, laboratory, filling, kitting, packaging, warehouse, shipping, and related operational environments. 
• Must follow all applicable safety, quality, documentation, PPE, gowning, and site requirements. 

Physical Requirements: 

• Ability to stand, walk, and move through manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse, and other operational areas for extended periods. 
• Ability to observe work at production benches, equipment, filling lines, kitting and packaging areas, shipping areas, and material-storage locations. 
• Ability to comply with required PPE, gowning, safety, and ergonomic practices.