About Abbott

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 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott in Ireland

Abbott has been operating in Ireland since 1946 and serves the Irish market with a diverse range of healthcare products including diagnostics, diabetes care, medical devices and nutritional products. In Ireland, Abbott currently employs about 6,000 people across ten sites located in Dublin, Donegal, Clonmel, Cootehill, Galway, Kilkenny, Longford and Sligo.

Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical practitioner designated by the Company.

Abbott Diabetes Care Kilkenny

Abbott Diabetes Care has opened a new site, in Kilkenny, that is at the forefront of Diabetes care with the latest technology, to manufacture FreeStyle Libre 3 blood glucose testing in diabetes management. Among Abbott Diabetes Care leading brands are the FreeStyle Precision, FreeStyle Lite and FreeStyle Libre systems.

MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE

In this role, you will be responsible for delivering immediate operational impact by optimizing the utilization of personnel, processes, and equipment within Operations. You will apply Lean Six Sigma tools to drive near‑term improvements, including process flow development, value stream mapping, time studies, line balancing, and the reduction of material and labour waste. You will update and develop standard work, analyse headcount versus capacity models, and embed Lean and MOS principles into existing facility infrastructure. Through the application of lean fundamentals, you will improve quality, cost, safety, and delivery performance across operations.

In parallel, you will build and own a medium to long‑term operational excellence strategy, translating business and growth objectives into a clearly defined roadmap for future manufacturing layouts, capability development, and facility evolution. This strategy will ensure sustainable performance improvements, scalability, and alignment with organisational priorities, while enabling continuous improvement to be embedded across Operations over time.

An Industrial Engineer’s role isn’t just to improve metrics—it’s to ensure the system delivers:

Faster lead time

Higher quality

Lower cost

Better experience

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsible for identifying and implementing improvements to strategic site operations and processes to support the delivery of site goals.

Lead industrial engineering activities relating to clean room and equipment expansion programs and achievement of planned capacity.   

Apply engineering methods to deliver models and presentations relating to facility, capacity and expansion planning and recommendations to management.

Measure and report on efficiency data. Maintain oversight of manufacturing data routinely collected to ensure necessary data is available to inform strategic decision making. Use influencing skills to ensure outcomes of analysis are implemented to good effect.

Recommend and develop manufacturing methods and tools that support and promote improvements in the utilisation of people, equipment, processes materials and utilities across all business processes.

Establish, set and maintain process standards and the capacity book, measuring performance to plan. Deliver solutions to address unfavourable variances. Through knowledge and Lean Sigma tools identify and deliver improvements to reduce waste and improve process and system performance.

Analyse capacity requirements to achieve output, propose labour and equipment resources to achieve business plans. Develop and lead continuous improvement projects, working cross functionally to implement changes that deliver savings across the business.

Work closely with Systems and Process Engineers to develop and improve dashboard visualisation to support manufacturing teams.

Note: This job description describes the principal and main elements of the job. It is a guide to the nature and main duties of the job as they currently exist but it is not intended as a wholly or comprehensive or permanent representation.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in engineering / science.

+3 Years Relevant Experience, In-depth knowledge and application of industrial engineering techniques, measurement of OEE, and knowledge of Lean Sigma tools.

Black Belt Qualification.

Experience with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) data management, statistical process control (SPC), financial budgets/standards.

High degree of technical expertise and familiarity with manufacturing processes.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Proficiency in project management and mathematical modelling.

Knowledge of Lean principles, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies.

Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.

Strong verbal and written communications with ability to effectively communicate at multiple levels in the organization.

Key Skillset

Lean and Six SigmaData Analytics and StatisticsProject ManagementCritical Thinking and RCAWorkflow and System DesignStrong communication and facilitationEnd to End Thinking

What we Offer

Attractive compensation package that includes competitive pay, as well as benefits such as

Family health insurance,

Excellent pension scheme

Life assurance

Career Development

Fantastic new facility

Growing business plus access to many more benefits.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com or https://www.ie.abbott/, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

Abbott is an equal opportunities employer.