Data Analyst (Manufacturing Process)

Position: Manufacturing Process Data Analyst Location: Waukegan, IL (Onsite – Monday through Friday) Duration: 36-Month Contract Pay Rate: $45.00 - $65.00 per hour W2 Join the Sterling Engineering Team! Are you passionate about manufacturing, data analytics, and continuous improvement? Sterling Engineering is looking for an Operations Excellence (OPEX) Data Analyst to join our team! In this role, you'll work side-by-side with production, engineering, and operations teams to turn manufacturing data into meaningful insights that improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and drive operational excellence. If you enjoy being on the manufacturing floor, solving problems, building dashboards, and making a measurable impact on production performance, we'd love to hear from you. Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Business Analytics, or related technical discipline. • Must have experience supporting manufacturing operations, process improvement, or production analytics. • Must have experience working within a manufacturing environment (pharmaceutical, food, automotive, consumer products, or industrial manufacturing). • Must have experience with Power BI and Microsoft Excel. • Must have Experience working with ERP systems such as SAP. • Familiarity with MES or manufacturing execution systems. • Experience with SQL for data extraction and reporting. • Experience supporting Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, or Operational Excellence initiatives. • Experience with QlikSense, Tableau, or similar Power BI platforms. • Knowledge of manufacturing KPIs including OEE, OPE, MTBF, MTTR, and production throughput. • Exposure to PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment or industrial automation. • Experience working with cross-functional teams in Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance • Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification is preferred About us…Sterling Engineering, in business for 57 years …we offer FULL BENEFITS! As a Sterling Engineering W2 employee on contract, you receive a Full Employee Benefits Package that includes Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, 3 Medical plans to choose from, Dental & Vision plans, 401(k) with a match, and an Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP) plan. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.