SUMMARY

The Corporate Continuous Improvement Manager will serve as one of the primary resources and champions for the planning and implementation of Lean Manufacturing methodologies and tools across the Supply Chain through mentoring, training, coaching, and leading by example to ensure a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement throughout the company.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Serves as a change agent responsible for leading the organization into an innovative, data driven, team oriented culture that embraces continuous improvement within an environment of collaboration and learning.
• Coordinates initiatives across all Supply Chain functions to ensure optimized cost and/or processes. This coordination will include, but not be limited to, purchasing, distribution, manufacturing, R&D, quality, packaging, and engineering.
• Develops close working relationships with key external suppliers to drive Supply Chain improvement initiatives.
• Inspires participation and develops working relationships with all levels of the operations teams across all facilities that results in growth, engagement, and ownership of results across key KPI measurements.
• Works across all facilities to standardize definitions, tools, benchmarking, and metrics as well as helping to monitor performance and identify opportunities.
• Works closely with the CI Managers at each facility to identify key waste initiatives, lead Kaizen blitz events, identify project savings, form teams, develop charters, and communicate effectively with key stakeholders throughout the value stream.
• Provides a high level of technical and operational proficiency in meeting productivity, material control, product quality, on-time delivery, and customer service goals.
• Shares and implements best practice initiatives across the Supply Chain.
• Reports out productivity results and profitability improvements to the management teams.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• This position doesn’t have any direct reports.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Has detailed understanding and first-hand experience in performance improvement tools and methodologies including but not limited to, Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Visual Factory, TPM, etc.
• Ability to mentor, train, and coach lean methodologies while also not hesitating to provide hands-on support in the execution of these initiatives.
• Proven ability and demonstrated success in developing, implementing, and sustaining the principles of Lean Manufacturing.
• Strong influence management skills with the ability to manage cross-functional resources without direct reporting relationships.
• Knowledge of food processing/packaging technology.

Education and/or Experience

• B.S. degree required, preferably in Engineering, Business, or Finance.
• 5 years minimum experience in a similar CI role is required.
• 3-5 Years operations experience in a food manufacturing environment is required.
• Production supervision experience is preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification is preferred.