Engineering Technician I

Location: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States

Employment Type: Full-time

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.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or related field (or Associate degree with relevant experience).
• 0–2 years of experience in industrial/process engineering, labor standards, or manufacturing/distribution environments.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Teams); experience with Excel modeling and pivot tables preferred.
• Experience with stopwatch time studies, standard data systems, and performance rating methods.
• Familiar with Lean Manufacturing, ergonomics, safety regulations, and 5S methodology.
• Basic to intermediate skills in AutoCAD or similar layout design tools.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills.

Benefits & Perks:

401K with Company Match, Profit Sharing, Health Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, 30% Employee Discount, Employee Referral Bonuses.

UniFirst is an international leader in garment & Uniform services industry. We currently employ over 14,000 team partners who serve 300,000 business customer locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

We were included in the top 10 of Selling Power magazine’s “Best Companies to Sell For” list and recognized on Forbes magazine’s “Platinum 400 – Best Big Companies” list. As an 80-year old company focused on annual growth, there’s never been a better time to join our team. 

UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws

UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws.

If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 800-347-7888 to let us know the nature of your request.

UniFirst Recruiters and/or representatives will not ask job seekers to provide personal financial information when submitting a job application. Please be vigilant as such requests for information may be fraudulent.