CI Manager

SunOpta; Midlothian (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid family leave

Paid maternity leave

401(k) with Match

Disability insurance

Paid holidays

Tuition assistance

Job summary

SunOpta seeks a seasoned Continuous Improvement leader to plan and direct CI initiatives at the Midlothian, TX facility. You will partner with facility leadership to implement high-impact projects, standardize processes, and drive cost reductions and productivity improvements.

You will train teams, apply data-driven problem solving, and ensure CI efforts align with overall business goals while managing cross-functional projects and risk."

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with project certification.
• 10+ years in CI/continuous improvement leadership or equivalent.
• Proficient with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint; excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of a comprehensive CI strategy with facility leadership.
• Advise senior leadership with data-driven insights for decision-making.
• Set KPIs, track progress, and demonstrate value of CI initiatives.
• Build and mentor the CI team; allocate resources for high-impact projects.
• Coordinate cross-functional CI projects; manage timelines and risks.
• Train and mentor employees in problem-solving methodologies to sustain improvements.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

CI Management

Project leadership

Leadership

Public speaking

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

MS Excel

Job description

About SunOpta

SunOpta delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths, and better-for-you snacks. With over 50 years of expertise, SunOpta fuels customers' growth with high-quality, sustainability-forward solutions distributed through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce channels across North America.

Job Summary:

This position is responsible for leading, planning, standardizing, and directing business process improvement and waste elimination activities to ensure business continuity and operational excellence within the Plant and assigned functional areas. This position is also responsible to identify, train and deploy resources to apply state-of-the-art approaches and tools to achieve performance excellence and process improvements.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Continuous Improvement (CI) strategy in partnership with facility leadership, prioritizing high-impact projects that drive efficiency, reduce costs, and align with the organization's overall business goals.
• Act as a trusted advisor to facility directors and senior leadership, providing expert guidance, data-driven insights, and actionable recommendations to support strategic decision-making and operational excellence.
• Ensure that CI initiatives are directly aligned with operational priorities and broader business objectives by setting measurable goals, defining key performance indicators (KPIs), and tracking progress to demonstrate value.
• Lead, develop, and support the CI team, allocating resources strategically to maximize efficiency and ensuring the team focuses on projects that deliver the greatest impact while meeting organizational needs.
• Drive the execution of complex cross-functional CI projects by coordinating diverse teams, managing project timelines and risks, and delivering sustainable, measurable business outcomes that enhance quality, productivity, and cost performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by training & mentoring employees in the identification of opportunities, implement rigorous problem-solving methodologies, and address root causes systematically to ensure long-term solutions.
• Partner with CI managers across facilities to share knowledge, align on best practices, and standardize tools and methodologies, ensuring consistency, improved efficiency, and elevated performance organization-wide.
• Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) when required.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, achieved through a program that required the successful completion of a project for certification.
• 10+ years related experience in a CI Manager role or related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination or education and experience.
• Must have a working knowledge or MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and be proficient with MS Excel.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and communications skills including facilitation and public-speaking experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lean/Six Sigma Green, Black or Master Black Belt or equivalent training and/or certification.
• Project Management experience in a manufacturing/cross-functional environment.
• Bilingual in Spanish.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Outstanding verbal, written, multi-tasking and presentation skills.
• Ability to create momentum and foster organizational change.
• Expertise in prioritizing projects based on business outcomes, ROI, and organizational strategy.
• Demonstrated mastery of Lean Six Sigma tools to deliver measurable business outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
• Proven expertise in leadership, mentoring, and stakeholder management to drive alignment and achieve organizational goals.
• Possess a disciplined approach to project execution with a track record of positive hard and behavioral results.
• Self-motivated/driven and able to create enthusiasm for improvement initiatives.
• Must have a working knowledge of MS Word and MS PowerPoint software and be proficient with MS Excel software.

Additional Considerations:

• Travel: Approximately 20% to various SunOpta locations for meetings and other job-related functions.
• Location: This position will be our SunOpta Plant in Midlothian, TX.
• Work Environment: Approximately 50% of this role is performed in an office environment; 50% is in an agricultural and/or manufacturing/production environment.
• Relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered.

Featured Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid Family leave
• Paid maternity leave
• 401(k) with Match
• Voluntary Life, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital indemnity
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition assistanceShort-term and Long-term Disability insurance

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
EOE M/W/VET/DISABLED