Mfg Continuous Improvement Leader

Kroger•Fort Worth, TX

About The Position

Lead and facilitate plant Continuous Improvement (CI) efforts, applying appropriate tools to improve Safety, Quality, and Reliability (SQR). Perform work safely, efficiently, and accurately to maintain and improve overall plant performance and support the Customer 1st strategy. Provide leadership that embodies Kroger Manufacturing’s seven High Performance Work System principles and demonstrate the company’s values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety. The role includes occasional travel for CI training and CI leader conferences. The employee must be able to work around ingredients and/or finished products known to contain food allergens, and perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 2 years of proven, successful team leadership.
Manufacturing experience.
Ability to guide a team in collectively creating actionable solutions.
Ability to remain flexible and adjust promptly and effectively during times of change.
Proven ability to leverage the capabilities and insights of individuals with diverse styles, abilities, and motivations to achieve strong results.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Ability to achieve Black Belt certification.
Strong negotiation, oral communication, and written communication skills.
Strong mathematical, analytical, and conceptual skills, balanced by the ability to apply common sense.
Ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
Ability to work around ingredients and/or finished products known to contain food allergens.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing or reengineering business processes from current to future state.
Black Belt certification and completion of level 8 requirements as outlined in the CI training manual (pay level 8).
Green Belt certification and completion of level 7 requirements as outlined in the CI training manual (pay level 7).
Experience with Lean or Six Sigma implementation and project management.
Training or exposure to statistical analysis.

Responsibilities

Assist plant teams with goal-setting and tracking continuous improvement measures.
Select and apply appropriate CI tools to improve line capacity, line efficiency, process reliability, mean time between failure, and other key measures.
Apply Lean Six Sigma tools and the DMAIC process to complete projects with annual savings, and provide technical expertise to support root cause analysis.
Create control plans to produce sustainable gains.
Lead teams to solve problems, eliminate waste, and reduce variation.
Participate in relevant aspects of project management initiatives and support commissioning, qualification, and verification for capital projects.
Mentor and coach teams on CI and Lean/Six Sigma methodology.
Use the Kroger downtime system to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities.
Develop and leverage collaborative relationships to achieve work goals.
Identify and understand issues and opportunities; compare data from different sources to draw conclusions; choose effective courses of action; and act consistently with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.
Follow established programs, policies, and practices to produce safe, quality foods that meet regulatory and company requirements.
Be accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Principles.