On-Site Engineering Technician I

This position is fully on-site in Owensboro, KY.

The Engineering Technician supports UniFirst’s mission of operational excellence by driving process improvements, maintaining accurate labor standards, and supporting incentive-based pay systems. This role partners closely with Production, Accounting, and Engineering teams to identify inefficiencies, improve cost performance, and enhance workflows in a high-volume, high-variation environment. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, a continuous improvement mindset, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic distribution setting.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with the Development and maintenance of engineered labor standards using time studies, work measurement, and process observations.
• Validate standards through work sampling, spot pace rating, and statistical analysis.
• Maintain labor data in Labor Management Systems and ensure accurate reflection of process changes.
• Support incentive pay accuracy by validating standards and assisting in the rollout and ongoing calibration of productivity expectations.
• Provide training, documentation, and guidance to Distribution Center managers on labor standards and LMS reporting.
• Collaborate with Production and Engineering teams to assess current manufacturing and distribution practices.
• Design, redesign, and optimize layouts, workflows, and tools to enhance throughput, ergonomics, and space utilization.
• Support site-level 5S initiatives to improve floor space, visual controls, and product flow.
• Assist with space and capacity analysis using CAD tools and layout modeling.
• Perform value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and time studies to identify and eliminate waste.
• Document standard work and partner with operations to implement improvements that align with Lean Manufacturing and Safety principles.
• Support specific CI (Continuous Improvement) projects in coordination with front-line leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Analyze production data for trends, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.
• Assist the Accounting department in understanding cost variances related to labor, throughput, and material usage.
• Recommend and justify process changes with measurable savings in cost, time, or resources.
• Support cost-reduction initiatives by optimizing labor, materials, and process design.
• Develop clear documentation of procedures, methods, and training materials in partnership with Operations, Training, and HR.
• Maintain and distribute updated SOPs, labor metrics, and individual performance reports.
• Serve as a technical resource for onboarding, training, and reinforcing best practices in engineered standards and workflow design.