Manufacturing Cost Reduction Analyst

Manufacturing Cost Reduction Analyst

Date: Sep 29, 2026

Location

Hickory, NC, US, 28601

Company: Corning

Requisition Number: 77535

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Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.

How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward.

At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.

Come break through with us.

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.

This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Purpose of the Position

The Manufacturing Cost Reduction Analyst supports global manufacturing cost reduction initiatives through portfolio reporting, data analytics, and reporting tool development. This role partners with manufacturing sites, Engineering, Finance, and Supply Chain to interpret cost reduction projects, improve reporting visibility, support savings validation, and communicate clear insights to leadership.

This position is well suited for a candidate with an engineering, manufacturing, operations, or process improvement background who is interested in expanding their exposure across manufacturing performance, cost reduction, and division-level decision-making. The ideal candidate is analytically strong, communicates well across functions, and can apply manufacturing understanding to support cost reduction reporting, project interpretation, and business insight.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the monthly cost reduction reporting cycle across global manufacturing sites, ensuring portfolio accuracy, data integrity, and timely reporting
• Collect, validate, and maintain cost reduction project data aligned with division targets
• Review project inputs for completeness, consistency, and reasonableness, and coordinate with site teams and Finance to resolve questions and validate assumptions
• Develop working knowledge of manufacturing processes, cost reduction projects, and process improvement opportunities to interpret reported savings and identify concerns or follow-up items
• Prepare and communicate monthly cost reduction reports, ad hoc analyses, and leadership updates that translate plant and cost data into clear business insights
• Develop, maintain, and improve Power BI dashboards and reporting tools, including opportunities to automate and streamline manual reporting processes
• Support budgeting, forecasting, target-setting, and savings validation activities through coordination with Finance and site teams
• Drive reporting process improvements related to data quality, workflow efficiency, and management visibility
• Support engineering cost reduction activities, including workshop preparation, follow-up actions, and portfolio/reporting support as needed
• Serve as a key resource to plant and engineering teams on cost reduction measures, savings interpretation, portfolio visibility, reporting processes, and portfolio data questions across global manufacturing sites

Travel Requirements:

• Occasional domestic or international travel may be required, generally up to 10%

Hours of Work / Work Schedule / Flex-Time:

• Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, with occasional flexibility needed to support deadlines, urgent business needs, or international meetings

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, operations, process improvement, analytics.

Required Skills

• Manufacturing or engineering foundation with the ability to understand project inputs and connect operational activities to cost outcomes
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret data, identify inconsistencies, and support sound decision-making
• Experience with Power BI, Excel, and data analysis tools used to summarize, interpret, and present business or operational data
• Ability to build understanding of manufacturing cost drivers and savings logic in support of reporting and portfolio analysis
• Ability to work effectively with Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, and manufacturing site teams in a cross-functional environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical and data-driven information clearly to a range of stakeholders
• Ability to manage recurring deliverables, prioritize multiple requests, and maintain accuracy in a monthly reporting cycle
• Interest in developing and improving tools, dashboards, and reporting processes that support visibility and decision-making

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, process engineering, continuous improvement, or operations support

• Familiarity with manufacturing cost drivers such as productivity, material utilization, yield, scrap, labor efficiency, and throughput

• Experience with cost reduction, operational excellence, Lean/Six Sigma, or process improvement initiatives

• Exposure to manufacturing finance, cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting, or savings validation

• Experience with Planview or other portfolio/project tracking systems

• Familiarity with Power Query, DAX, Databricks, or similar data transformation and analytics tools

• Experience working across multiple manufacturing sites or in a global or matrixed organization

• This position does not support immigration sponsorship.