Operational Excellence Specialist

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. JOB DESCRIPTION: About Abbott Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people’s health. We’re always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology.   Our diagnostic solutions are used in hospitals, laboratories, and clinics around the globe. The crucial information derived from our tests, instruments and informatics systems are often the first step in patient care decision making for hundreds of health conditions from heart attacks to blood disorders to infectious diseases and cancers.   Working at Abbott At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to: • Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of. • Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year. • An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution • Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree. • A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune. • A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists. The Opportunity • This is not a remote opportunity • Qualified candidates must currently live in the Chicagoland area.   The Operational Excellence Specialist supports initiatives that improve performance, productivity, quality, and customer service through data-driven problem solving and continuous improvement methodologies. Working closely with the Operational Excellence Leader, this entry-level role assists with Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other improvement projects while promoting a culture of operational excellence across the organization. What You’ll Work On • Support the planning, execution, and sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives. • Assist with process analysis, root cause investigations, process mapping, and corrective actions. • Promote the use of Lean tools and techniques, including standard work, 5S, visual management, and problem-solving methods. • Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and visual management tools to improve data understanding and performance tracking. • Participate in process observations to identify waste, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. • Partner with cross-functional teams to drive operational improvements and best practice sharing. • Support employee engagement, training, and continuous improvement activities. • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance the employee and customer experience.   Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree In Engineering, Business, Operations or Science • Minimum 2 years in operations, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, supply chain, engineering, project management, or a related field Or • Associate’s degree and 6 plus years in operations, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, supply chain, engineering, project management, or a related field Or • HS/GED degree and 8 plus years in operations, manufacturing, distribution, logis