The posting
Be yourself at Protolabs
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace. So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply! You can help make our company even better. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself. We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.
Why Protolabs?
We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.
Join our team as a
Sr. Lean/CI Practitioner for CNC!
This is an ONSITE role based out of our Brooklyn Park, MN CNC location.
We are seeking an experienced and highly influential Senior Continuous Improvement Practitioner to advance operational excellence at our CNC manufacturing facility in Brooklyn Park. This role will partner closely with site leadership and frontline teams to strengthen how the organization identifies, solves, and prevents problems.
As part of Protolabs’ ProtoExcellence Business System, the Senior Continuous Improvement Practitioner will develop the organization’s ability to improve through structured problem solving, standardized work, value stream management, leader standard work, daily management, coaching, and change leadership. The role is accountable not only for facilitating improvements, but also for ensuring that new ways of working are adopted, sustained, and owned by the people closest to the work.
The successful candidate will be an experienced Lean practitioner who can move comfortably between the shop floor and leadership discussions, connect improvement priorities to business objectives, and coach leaders and teams to solve increasingly complex problems independently.
What You'll Do:
- Partner with site leadership to develop and execute a continuous improvement strategy aligned with business priorities.
- Assess operational performance and identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee effectiveness.
- Lead value stream mapping and cross-functional process improvement initiatives to eliminate waste and increase efficiency.
- Facilitate Kaizen events and continuous improvement activities, ensuring sustainable results through clear ownership and follow-up.
- Coach leaders and teams in structured problem-solving methodologies, including root cause analysis and corrective action development.
- Design and strengthen daily management systems, including visual management, accountability routines, and leader standard work.
- Develop organizational capability through coaching, training, and implementation of standardized work and continuous improvement practices.
- Establish performance metrics and management routines that drive accountability, measure results, and support data-driven decision-making.
- Partner with business leaders, frontline teams, and stakeholders to drive change adoption, sustain improvements, and build a culture of continuous improvement.
What It Takes:
- Bachelor's degree in business, operations, industrial engineering, information systems, or a related field, or a commensurate combination of education and experience.
- 5+ years of continuous improvement experience in Lean, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or a related discipline, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience building sustainable daily management systems, leader standard work, standardized work, and structured problem-solving capability.
- Experience coaching leaders and frontline teams through operational and behavioral change.
- Experience facilitating Kaizen events, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and improvement planning.
- Experience establishing performance baselines, measuring improvement outcomes, and validating business benefits with Finance or other business partners.
- Working knowledge of manufacturing operations and the ability to operate credibly in a CNC production environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Ability to apply Lean and continuous improvement methodologies (structured problem solving, standard work, visual/daily management) to transactional processes.
- Strong facilitation, coaching, and communication skills, with the ability to influence without authority across cross-functional teams.
- Strong organization and time management skills, with attention to detail and a devotion to eliminating variation and inconsistency in processes and systems.
- Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt)
- Change management certification or experience (e.g., Prosci / ADKAR).
- Experience applying Lean practices in CNC machining, high-mix manufacturing, digital manufacturing, or another complex production environment.
- Experience designing or advancing a site-level operating or business system.
- Formal training or certification in change management, coaching, or organizational development.
- Experience developing leaders and other practitioners in Lean and structured problem-solving practices.
- Experience with A3 thinking, PDCA, DMAIC, 8D, or comparable structured problem-solving methods.
- Familiarity with performance-management and visualization tools such as Power BI.
- Experience partnering with Finance to validate benefits and establish credible measurement and sustainment practices.
Whats In It For You:
- We offer a competitive salary and total rewards package
- We offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
- Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
- Dental and Vision
- Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Paid caregiver leave
- You will receive at least 3 weeks of PTO + Wellness + Holiday Pay + Volunteer Hours
- 401k with company match and immediate vest
- Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate
- Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
- And More!
Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities. Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.
Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Physical Demands:
While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment:
Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in an office setting requiring normal safety precautions. However, there may be job duties that require the employee to spend time in the manufacturing areas exposed to machinery and noise; eye protection occasionally required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.
