Process Improvement Manager

Blue Diamond Growers•Turlock, CA

About The Position

The Process Improvement Manager leads continuous improvement projects, margin enhancement initiatives, and plant capital projects to improve plant operations, partnering across Global Supply. The role manages commissioning and start-up of new production lines, products, and processes, ensuring staffing, policies, and procedures are in place for safe, efficient execution within schedule and budget. As a member of the Site Leadership Team, the manager helps ensure site and project Safety, Quality, Service, Performance, and People metrics are achieved.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business Administration.
Seven years of production or operations experience in a manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of manufacturing engineering processes.
Demonstrated problem-solving skills, including organizing unstructured data and input for analysis and proactively solving problems.
Demonstrated loss analysis and process improvement skills with practical, hands-on application.
Ability to communicate effectively across all organizational levels and convey a common vision to cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to manage and influence teams without formal authority and foster collaboration across organizational boundaries.
Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, and relational database software.
Experience working under and meeting tight deadlines.
Experience and confidence using continuous improvement tools.
Ability to move throughout the facility, including climbing stairs, ladders, elevated catwalks, and accessing tight areas.
Ability to work at a desk for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Operations Manager experience.
Experience in the food industry or a similar high-turn environment.
Knowledge of food processing quality and safety requirements.
Attention to detail when working with large volumes of data.
Experience working through change and, in some instances, leading change.

Responsibilities

Lead planning, commissioning, and start-up of new production lines, products, and processes for the site.
Partner and communicate with stakeholders at all organizational levels, including front-line Team Members.
Lead and plan work needed to achieve site innovation, renovation, and brand changes.
Ensure project timelines and budgets are understood, communicated, and followed, including appropriate standards, procedures, staffing, and training.
Partner with the Operations Business Manager to ensure site projects follow established project standards.
Participate in engineering design and reviews for operations capital projects.
Execute the site's margin enhancement process, establish cross-functional teams and projects, facilitate idea generation, maintain a future project pipeline, and track monthly results.
Lead and drive at least $2 million per year in margin enhancement projects.
Serve as a problem-solving champion and coach for the site.
Lead site continuous improvement initiatives and partner with the Site Leadership Team to maintain appropriate measures, reviews, problem-solving practices, standards, and routines.
Implement advanced continuous improvement tools, such as Kaizen, Six Sigma, and SMED, partnering with the Global Supply Process Improvement Manager and other site Process Improvement Managers as needed.
Share best practices with Process Improvement/Start-Up Managers at other Blue Diamond Growers plants and support standardization across sites.
Identify best practices for reapplication to improve systems and processes.
Build effective relationships and engage Team Members at all levels to support change management and project implementation.
Develop communication plans to keep key stakeholders informed of project status.
Drive a Zero Harm culture and ensure effective change management methodologies are followed.
May be assigned other tasks consistent with management's assignment of essential functions.