Continuous Improvement Manager PM

$104,000 - $156,000/Yr

Chobani - New Berlin, NY

Full-time

New Berlin, NY

Food Manufacturing

About the position

Chobani is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to enhance the operational effectiveness of its production platform at the South Edmeston facility. This role focuses on improving operational equipment effectiveness (OEE), executing initiatives to reduce waste and production costs, and supporting the sustainable execution of new initiatives in a 24-7 manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will leverage Lean/Six Sigma methodologies to drive results and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the team.

Responsibilities

• Lead platform improvement team and develop a strategy to improve assigned production lines capability.
• Scope and lead cost savings projects to reduce overall production costs and waste for the platform and report out on this progress regularly.
• Develop KPIs for cost savings projects and improvement teams to show measurable improvement towards the overarching business goals.
• Partner with engineering, maintenance, people team, operations, processing and more to support reduction of overall availability losses and cost savings initiatives.
• Improve reliability of existing equipment, as well as identify and provide support to new equipment for step change performance as part of a production improvement team.
• Lead and support root cause analysis and problem-solving efforts for production issues, and utilize data driven problem solving approaches to provide targeted results.
• Support the development of internal standard operating procedures and training, to improve response time to downtime issues on the factory floor and support improvement sustainability.
• Scope and execute regular Kaizen events to facilitate platform improvements, waste reduction, and cost savings.
• Guide and coach members of all levels, primarily through implementation of Lean principles and practices and assist in building a culture of continuous improvement at the site.
• Work with production staff across all shifts, building and maintaining close communications and working relationships to provide support and direction on CI initiatives.
• Deliver weekly report out to Leadership on the progress of all improvement and cost savings initiatives.
• Follow all GMP, Safety and Food Quality practices.

Requirements

• Minimum of 3-5 years of manufacturing experience leading cross functional teams without formal authority, and working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, and experience with change management strategies and processes.
• Successful experience applying Lean and Six Sigma tools to get results (value stream mapping, 5S, Kaizen, Kanban, Error proofing, SMED, team problem solving, etc.). Green or Black Belt preferred.
• Ability to professionally communicate and work cooperatively with others both verbally and in writing. The ability to simplify and communicate broadly at all levels is a must- as is the willingness to work with and train others.
• Project management experience, with an understanding of the mechanics of managing a portfolio/dashboard.
• Strong MS Office skills (great command of Excel). Experience with Minitab and other statistical software and SAP a plus.
• Basic understanding of business operations and P&L structure/framework.
• Bachelor's degree preferred - Engineering or Project/Program Management.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $104,000.00 - $156,000.00, plus bonus.