Continuous Improvement Manager

The Continuous Improvement Manager is a results-driven enterprise execution leader responsible for delivering financially validated, sustained operational improvements across multiple manufacturing sites. This role translates strategic CI priorities into measurable plant-level performance gains in safety, quality, delivery, labor productivity, and cost. What You’ll Do: Enterprise Transformation Opportunity Identification: Diagnose site-level constraints; identify labor, yield, throughput, and cost inefficiencies across the network; quantify opportunity before committing resources Financial Validation: Confirm savings sizing with Finance prior to launch; own forecast vs. actual tracking aligned to the CI Savings Bank methodology; no soft savings, no unvalidated claims Execution & Deployment: Lead line balancing, staffing optimization, standard work, and takt alignment; replicate wins across sites — not one-off events Buy-In & Leadership Alignment: Secure Plant Manager and site leadership commitment before launch; hold structured weekly accountability reviews; elevate resistance early Sustainment & Closure: Validate post-implementation performance at 60–90 days; ensure results are durable before closing — no drift, no unfinished implementations Core CI Skills - Required for Success in this Role Lead and facilitate CI initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement across multiple sites. Identify, analyze, and resolve operational issues using structured problem’solving methodologies Apply and coach teams on Lean and CI tools including: Fishbone Diagrams, 5-Why Analysis, Line Balancing, Takt Time Analysis, Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis Plan, lead, and execute multi‑day Kaizen events and cross‑functional rapid improvement workshops. Partner with site leadership to develop and execute enterprise‑wide and site‑level improvement roadmaps. Best‑in‑Class Impact Abilities (Proven Economic Drivers) Installs leader standard work and daily management routines so results do not erode after events – sustains gains through operating systems, not individual heroics Applies PDCA/scientific thinking to drive hypothesis‑based testing – eliminates jump‑to‑solution culture and ensures every change is measurable Builds a repeatable Kaizen engine that makes improvement a daily operating rhythm, not a side initiative Financial ownership discipline: Validates all savings with Finance, tracks baseline‐to‐target performance, and ensures zero soft claims across the portfolio Cross‑site replication mindset: Systematically documents and deploys successful implementations so every win scales across the network – multiplying impact without multiplying effort Develops site supervisors and leads to own CI execution daily – building organizational capability and removing dependency on the CI function Leadership Alignment & Accountability Model a high‐accountability, floor‐first performance culture across all sites Communicate savings performance and pipeline status directly to senior leadership Escalate risks, resource gaps, and organizational resistance early and clearly Build site CI capability so improvement continues between enterprise deployments Requirements What you’ll bring: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field. MBA or advanced degree preferred. 8+ years of CI / Operational Excellence leadership in manufacturing. Food manufacturing / fresh or cold‑chain production experience preferred. Demonstrated history of savings validated by Finance – not self‑reported Proven experience leading multi‑site improvement initiatives, Experience operating within a formal CI operating system (daily management + leader standard work + Kaizen cadence) an asset. Strong financial acumen – can connect operational improvements to P&L impact Willingness to travel Comfortable confronting underperformance and driving accountability Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred Bilingual (English / Spanish) Familiarity with Power BI, ERP systems, and labor analytics platforms an asset. Physical Demands: This role operates in a professional office environment with periodic travel to manufacturing sites and is primarily sedentary, involving extended computer use and communication across locations; the individual must be able to navigate office and production settings and meet essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Benefits Competitive compensation package A robust health and welfare benefits package that includes Life, Health, Dental, Vision The opportunity to plan for the future with a strong 401(K) including company match Time to recharge with Paid Time Off annually + Paid Holidays Career Advancement opportunities and Tuition Assistance to help you achieve your goals and continue your career growth. F&S is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Join us in shaping the future of F&S Fresh Foods! #J-18808-Ljbffr