Continuous Improvement Manager

King's Hawaiian•Oakwood, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

As a leader for King’s Hawaiian California Operations, reporting to the Plant Director, the Continuous Improvement (“CI”) Manager plays a pivotal role in enhancing manufacturing processes, ensuring irresistible product quality, and implementing cost-saving measures. This role leads the Continuous Improvement organization in delivering multiple projects of varying complexity in alignment with our strategic business goals. This role is responsible for shepherding the growth of Continuous Improvement culture for California Operations and developing the skill level and future success of the CI Team. Success in this position is defined as leading the CI organization to deliver measurable process improvements across safety, quality, productivity, and cost metrics as well as partnering with various stakeholders, including production, R&D, and marketing teams to deliver new capabilities and products that drive the business strategy. Employees in this position may interact with their leader daily, to receive guidance and feedback. Most non-routine activities may require their leader’s advance approval, but routine decisions within the general scope of the role may be made independently.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or related field required
At least 5 years of relevant experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Engineering or Operations Management or a similar role within the manufacturing sector, preference for Food & Beverage manufacturing
Demonstrated experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies
High proficiency in project management principles, utilizing this knowledge to efficiently lead CI team in the delivery of projects from inception through to completion.
Working level of Financial Acumen and demonstrated ability to manage budgets, build business plans, and collaborate with Finance Teams
Functional understanding of GMP and SQF standards, with a focus on learning and applying these standards to enhance product quality and safety.
Proficient ability to analyze complex data and translate findings into actionable insights, driving strategic decisions and operational improvements. Exposure to data visualization software (Tableau, PowerBI)
Expert ability to lead, motivate, and manage cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Ability to travel up to 15% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in a related field preferred.
certification preferred.
A professional certification in Project Management (PMP, PgMP) or equivalent is preferred, indicating a working understanding of project management principles and practices that enhance the ability to effectively lead continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

Develop and oversee a comprehensive Continuous Improvement strategy for King’s Hawaiian California Operations that aligns with the broader Operational Excellence strategy to deliver measurable, meaningful performance improvement across Safety, Quality, Productivity, and Cost Metrics
Coordinate with cross-functional teams to understand their needs and deliver value through the identification of improvement opportunities, solution implementation, and ongoing support.
Own the roadmaps and “glidepath” for CA Operations Performance to inform Capacity Planning
Own manufacturing data and Performance Reporting striving for flawless, available, accessible data for users throughout CA Operations
Tailor the Technical Learning & Development strategy to California Operations needs and lead deployment to ensure a safe, compliant, and highly capable Manufacturing staff
Lead the Gross Margin Improvement process for CA Operations ensuring efficient use of resources by coordinating and driving delivery of Yield, Overhead Expenditure, and Direct Labor Improvements
Coordinate with Engineering and Operations Excellence in the CAPEX planning for California Operations
Own and shape plant cadences to ensure efficient and timely communication between departments
Manage departmental and CI project budgets, ensuring efficient use of resources and achievement of project and organizational financial goals.
Conduct risk assessments for CI projects, identifying potential issues and developing strategies to mitigate risks.
Oversee resource planning and capacity management to ensure optimal project sequencing and execution.
Own the growth of Continuous Improvement culture for CA Operations by leading development and delivery of learning curriculum, training, and Continuous Improvement events by example, mentoring team members, and promoting collaboration and innovation.
Provide guidance and recommendations for plant structures and processes to ingrain Continuous Improvement philosophies across departments and functions, including project management, across CA Operations
Provide direct supervision and development plans for CI Team members to improve their capabilities and enable their future success as potential leaders of King’s Hawaiian.
Maintain relevant trackers, record keeping, project valuation standards, and documentation (e.g., project charters, roadmaps), to ensure operational excellence standards are met.
Serve as an escalation point for resolving conflicts and project issues, driving them to resolution to ensure project success.
Continuously seek opportunities to enhance processes and methodologies based on lessons learned, benchmarking, and community discussions.