Industrial Performance Manager

Russell Stover•Abilene, KS

18h•Onsite

About The Position

At Russell Stover, we are seeking an Industrial Performance Manager to play a vital role in developing and tracking the Operations strategy for the plant, focused on driving efficiency and continuous improvement. This role involves compiling, reviewing, and communicating key performance data, collaborating with operations leaders to identify improvement opportunities, and conducting Gemba walks on the production floor to identify process inefficiencies. The Industrial Performance Manager will also train others to use Lean tools for solution implementation, act as a change agent to support the optimization of new products, operational knowledge, and digital transformation, with the daily goal of optimizing performance, reducing waste, and fostering a culture of operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
3+ years in a manufacturing environment in a management role
Previous people management experience
3+ years of Operational Excellence or TPM program experience
Strong computer literacy in MS Office
Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation
Ability to influence others and gain support for Operational Excellence initiatives

Nice To Haves

3+ years in a food manufacturing environment
Functional knowledge of lean manufacturing/TPM principles
Excellent organization, planning, and analytical problem solving skills
Ability to drive change and improve performance throughout all levels of the organization
Knowledge of financial analysis
Working knowledge of SAP or other ERP systems
Demonstrated ability to work without close supervision and maintain high level of motivation
Ability to effectively communicate ideas, concepts and procedures to all levels within the organization, from the manufacturing floor to senior management
Conflict and change management skills
Strong interpersonal skills, able to proactively engage dialogue and communication to reach resolutions with employees at all levels of the organization
Ability to set priorities, be self-disciplined and consistent
Ability to develop and implement action steps and follow through
Ability to efficiently work independently or in a team environment
Ability to identify training needs and define programs to ensure proper training on all levels of the organization

Responsibilities

Ensuring the factory focus is on top priorities by developing the Operations strategy in partnership with the Plant Director
Measuring performance and prioritizing losses: Resources Utilization, Conversion Cost, Productivity, Efficiency, and Material losses
Analyzing data to make decisions that drive change and improve performance with all levels of Operations management
Maintaining performance-tracking systems to monitor and take actions on manufacturing performance
Working with site management team to determine objectives and strategy for the production department; translate agreed strategies into production team and individual goals, activities and deliverables
Generating and maintaining operational standards: waste, rework, over usage, labor, routings, nominal speeds, OEE, Technical Efficiency
Supporting line trials and providing input to optimize new products
Leading implementation of our Operational Excellence program
Implementing best practices from other departments, plants, companies
Ensuring that training is effectively provided throughout all levels of operations organization
Supporting digitization efforts within Operations to transform our tools and unlock improvement opportunities
Adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards
Completing and following FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensuring consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives
Promptly reporting and taking appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities
Actively contributing to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role
Accountability for maintaining performance-tracking systems, leveraging data for decision-making, and actively supporting digital transformation initiatives (ERP/SAP, digitized tools, performance systems).