Continuous Improvement Engineer

Covia responsibly provides minerals solutions for a better tomorrow. As a leading provider of diversified minerals, our products support a variety of industrial markets, including glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, foundry, polymers, construction, water filtration, and sports and recreation. Long-standing relationships with a broad customer base enable Covia’s market-inspired approach to innovation to enhance solutions and customer benefits. Underpinning these strengths is an unwavering commitment to safety and to sustainable development, further enhancing the value that Covia delivers to all its stakeholders. 

Covia is looking for a Continuous Improvement (CI) Engineer who will have a positive impact on the Operations team at our Troy Grove and Wedron facilities.  As a CI Engineer, you will support an operating environment that embraces the continuous improvement process, implementing and maintaining systems, driving productivity improvements as well as leading, coaching, motivating, and engaging the work teams to accomplish operational objectives. 

The successful incumbent will have the following Key Accountabilities: 

Working with sites to support Covia’s Operations Management System with objectives that include:  

Improving work effectiveness and efficiencies 

Providing the tools and approaches needed by teams to deliver 

Assisting to identify systems to support debottlenecking and loss prevention 

Assisting the plant in developing and supporting a portfolio of Continuous Improvement (CI) projects for areas of productivity, energy, and growth. 

Continually evaluate personnel and work processes with continuous improvement as the objective. 

Identify novel concepts and approaches directed toward improving Operations optimization processes. 

Facilitate local workshops to generate involvement for problem solving and idea generation at all levels throughout the Organization including front line workers. 

Provide lean manufacturing training to front line and supervisory staff at the plant. 

Ensure all plant personnel receive thorough training on existing processes and are upgrades on new systems as required. 

Facilitate the implementation and sustaining the Ways of Working. Focus on KPI development, Visual Performance Boards, 5S and Skills Training Matrix. 

Build and foster a strong culture of personal and process safety across the organization. 

Fill in for Production and Maintenance Supervisors from time to time when supervisors are on vacation as an opportunity to develop supervisory and leadership skills 

Collaborate with cross-functional and interdependent departments as required. 

Perform other duties as assigned 

The successful incumbent will have the following Minimum Qualifications: 

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or Science from an accredited college or university, required 

Ability to train plant employees in problem solving techniques to deliver results 

Self-motivated to resolve challenges and circumvent obstacles 

Openly discuss opportunities to improve the performance of the business 

Strong communication skills are essential. 

Strong analytical and technical skills, ability to solve complex problems, ability to innovate, and a strategic business perspective and financial acumen 

Commitment to Our Culture: 

Our core values - Safety, Team, Customers, Growth, and Courage—guide our work every day and will help us achieve our vision: Covia is the leading minerals solutions provider, and through the passion and commitment of our people, we enable customer success—ensuring a sustainable future for our company. 

All Covia Team Members are expected to:  

Live the Life-Saving Rules 

Build high-performing work teams 

Focus on customers 

Demonstrate a growth mindset 

Do the right thing, always 

At Covia, we strive for and support a diverse workforce as we firmly believe this lays the foundation of our success.  Our compelling culture supports inclusion, individuality, and respect within the workplace.  We are committed to providing employment opportunities to the most qualified candidate based on work-related factors and without regard to non-work-related factors including race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, or military service or reserve or veteran status. 

The organization offers competitive salaries, advancement opportunities, and a full range of benefits.  

Benefits: 

Excellent Healthcare Benefits – medical, vision, dental                                            

401K with company matching 

Vacation + Paid Holidays 

Disability, Life / AD&D, and Long-Term Care Insurances 

Employee Assistance Program 

 
An Equal Opportunity Employer