Director of Continuous Improvement

Our client is a growing, private equity-backed food manufacturer producing fresh, ready-to-cook proteins and meal solutions for leading grocery retailers and foodservice customers nationwide. Their products, including hand-crafted, value-added meats combined with fresh vegetables and seasonings, have earned a strong position in the specialty section of the grocery store. The company is growing, and leadership is now investing in operational excellence to support the next phase of that growth. The Opportunity This is a newly created role and the company's first dedicated continuous improvement leader. You'll partner closely with plant leadership to build a CI function from the ground up across a 250-person production floor. The operation is high-mix and labor-intensive: much of the product is assembled by hand, the product is perishable, and daily needs change based on customer demand. This is not machine-paced manufacturing, and it calls for someone who knows how to improve operations where people, not equipment, drive output. Leadership is excited about this role and fully behind it. The right person will have the independence and support to make a real, measurable impact on cost, yield, and how work gets done. What You'll Do Lead cost-out initiatives across the plant, with a focus on labor productivity, yield, and waste reduction Build the KPI and metrics foundation the operation currently lacks, including labor standards, yield tracking, and performance dashboards Shorten the loop between labor planning and actual results so the team can manage to standard daily Rethink how manual work is organized and performed, including line layout, staffing models, work methods, and labor standards for high-mix hand assembly Identify and attack sources of product loss, giveaway, and waste in a perishable environment Drive structured root cause analysis and make sure fixes stick Introduce practical Lean and Six Sigma tools and build a CI culture where none exists today Work hands-on on the floor alongside supervisors and team members, coaching and training as you go Partner with quality and food safety to make sure improvements support regulatory and customer requirements Use NetSuite and Power BI to turn operational data into clear, actionable reporting What We're Looking For 5+ years of continuous improvement, operational excellence, or industrial engineering experience in manufacturing, with progressive leadership responsibility Proven success improving labor-intensive, high-mix, manual assembly operations. This is the most important requirement. Food manufacturing experience strongly preferred, especially fresh, perishable, or protein processing environments Strong working knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma. Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred. A track record of building metrics, labor standards, and accountability systems from scratch Documented cost savings and yield improvements you can speak to in detail An independent, self-directed style: someone who can assess an operation, set a plan, and execute without a lot of structure around them A hands-on leader who is comfortable on the production floor and earns credibility with frontline teams Experience with NetSuite and Power BI, or similar ERP and BI tools Bilingual in English and Spanish is a strong plus Must be local to the Greater Boston / North Shore area or willing to relocate. This role is on-site. Why This Role Build the CI function from the ground up with real ownership and visible impact Leadership and investors who are committed to the investment and eager to support it A growing company with room for advancement as the business scales #J-18808-Ljbffr