Operational Excellence Specialist
About The Position
At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH! The Operational Excellence Specialist is a member of the Freshpet for Excellence (FPE) program and is responsible for the development and implementation of automation and process solutions to drive efficiency and enhance performance. This role is designed to be a connection between processes and people with the intent of increasing employee engagement.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or business (Preferred) or equivalent industry experience.
- Minimum 7 years of experience in Continuous Improvement or Plant Operations with some experience in Lean Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence (OPEX) roles.
- Subject matter expertise with our theory of operation and associated equipment strongly preferred.
Responsibilities
- Identify, plan, and execute initiatives to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality.
- Engage and mentor the manufacturing floor team members with Freshpet for Excellence (FPE) tools and methodology
- Facilitate the implementation of Lean tools such as 5S, process mapping, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis
- Analyze current processes to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
- Develop and implement new processes or refine existing ones to improve workflow and performance
- Collect and analyze data to measure the success of improvement initiatives
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide regular reports to stakeholders
- Use data to drive decision-making and demonstrate ROI on improvement projects
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement by educating and engaging employees at all levels with emphasis on hourly associates
- Acquire skills necessary to be a FPE pillar leader
- Serve as an action-oriented advocate of FPE
- Practice pragmatism with the goal of simplifying the FPE process so that more manufacturing team members become engaged
- Determine loss elimination in line with the site’s masterplan
- Use subject master expertise to create and maintain operating standards and repeatability
- All other duties as assigned
Benefits
- medical, dental and vision insurance
- basic and optional life insurance
- short- and long-term disability protection
- flexible spending accounts
- a 401(k) plan with company match
- paid parental leave
- pet insurance
- tuition assistance
- a generous PTO plan and so much more!
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
