Continuous Improvement Manager

Who We Are:

With over 11,000 employees at over 40 facilities across US, Canada & Europe, Hearthside Food Solutions is one of the fastest growing food companies and the industry's largest contract manufacturer. Our secret to success? Our people. We know an investment in our people is an investment in our company. We strive to understand our team members and support them however we can. By empowering employees through skill development and career advancement opportunities, we emphasize a culture of continuous improvement - both for the business and our people. We want team members that will support us in owning safety together - speaking up when they see a problem. When we focus on our people and safety, it ensures we all are driving better performance as well as on time delivery to our customers!

The Continuous Improvement Manager will be working at one our larger bakeries located in North Sioux City, SD. The plant is 350k sq. ft. and operates 8 highly automated production lines. At this plant, we produce cookies for multiple customers; including the Girl Scouts, Kroger, Walmart and many others. This facility has two unions, the BCTGM and Teamsters. Nestled between the curves of the Missouri River and the banks of McCook Lake, North Sioux City is at the intersection of commerce, recreation, and small town living with big city attractions.

Relocation is available for this opportunity.

Job Scope:

The CI Manager is responsible for driving sustainable Process Improvements in the facility by delivering breakthrough results in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale. The CI Manager works closely with plant leadership, Regional CI, and department employees to achieve results. This position requires strong technical, Lean Manufacturing, and hands-on leadership skills to drive cultural change in the plant.

Core Accountabilities:

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Leads, facilitates, and coaches full week Kaizen events to drive sustainable improvements
• Coach Point Kaizen facilitators through prework, the event, and sustainment
• Works closely with Plant CI team and CI Champions to:
• Develop and execute improvement action plans • Executes and improves Center lining, SMED, and other various heatmaps to drive improvement within the facility • Build an employee engaged work environment • Provide and teach CI tools to CI and Non-CI employees
• Ability to perform theory of constraints analysis, identify the constraint, and implement practical and effective solutions to improving throughput.
• Establishes and drives productivity pipeline roadmaps across departments and facility.
• Tracks and analyzes the CI initiatives including driving the cost savings program for the site to meet annual cost savings target.
• Working knowledge of P&L/financial acumen to course correct CI plans based on weekly financial and P&L results as needed, identify cost savings, and to track effectiveness of lean activities.
• Understands and drives the use of SAP tools to understand the needs of the plant.
• Responsible for implementing and coaching HPS tools to improve all areas of plants.
• Build cultural Lean change throughout the plant.
• Leverage resources and share best practices across multiple plants when possible.
• Facilitate and coach RCA tools and methodology to drive waste out of the process.
• Work with customers, suppliers and all levels of management staff.
• Responsible for managing multiple projects concurrently.
• Ensure the facility implements and maintains Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Required Competencies & Knowledge:

• Knowledge and experience with SAP or large ERP systems.
• The CI Manager should possess extensive technical skills and hands-on experience in continuous improvement manufacturing activities.
• Bias for action, change agent, challenging the status quo to drive to operations excellence.
• Strong will to drive change and influence without authority.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work with autonomy.
• Must be accurate, detail-oriented and maintain the utmost confidentiality.

Ability To:

• Effectively present information to employees, top management, public groups and/or board of directors.
• Ability to define problems, collect and calculate data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram and/or schedule form.
• Work well with others in stressful situations and meet deadlines as necessary.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, while at the same time making sound decisions.
• Must have a strong will to drive change and sustain.

Proficiency In: MS Office Suite, Excel, and PP Work Environment:

• Maintain harmonious working relations with employees from all departments.
• Maintain harmonious working relations with management from all levels.
• Communicate effectively with all employees and management. Physical Requirements:
• Ability to use and reach throughout the day; hands, fingers, arms, stand, walk, climb and/or balance approximately.
• Ability to see, hear and talk.
• Ability to work in light to moderate noise levels.
• Ability to work across multiple shifts.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required, preferably in Engineering, Business or Operations.
• Food manufacturing a strong plus.
• 3 or more years of experience in the Continuous Improvement and prefer 1 or more years of leading CI for the site.
• 2 or more years in a manufacturing environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

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Other details

• Job Family Manager
• Pay Type Salary

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