Continuous Improvement Manager

F&S PRODUCE WEST LLC • Riverside, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

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. This is not a Lean Coordinator or workshop facilitator. This is an operator–architect hybrid who drives large-scale turnarounds, installs durable operating systems, and builds site teams into high-performing execution engines.

Requirements

• 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.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Food manufacturing / fresh or cold-chain production experience preferred.
• Experience operating within a formal CI operating system (daily management + leader standard work + Kaizen cadence) an asset.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred
• Bilingual (English / Spanish)
• Familiarity with Power BI, ERP systems, and labor analytics platforms an asset.

Responsibilities

• 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; escalate 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

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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior