Continuous Improvement Engineer

Misfits Market; Walnut (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Grocery box credit

Job summary

Misfits Market is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to drive process design, project management, implementation and data analysis across logistics and distribution. You will partner with field operations to deploy data-driven solutions, coach leaders, and sustain lean practices in a fast-growing environment.

You will help expand 3PL collaborations, build scalable business processes, and ensure safety, quality and productivity while reducing waste and improving unit economics.

Qualifications

• 5 to 7 years hands-on experience in a manufacturing, warehouse and/or delivery operations environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, project management or equivalent experience.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and practices.
• Minimum of a Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification is preferred, with examples of Lean tool usage.
• Collaborate and work cross-functionally with a variety of teams including Operations, HR, Supply, Innovation, Customer Care and Marketing.
• Work independently or collaboratively, with little supervision in a changing environment with shifting priorities.
• Recognize and identify root causes for subtle differences in processes and data sets.
• Coach and practice a disciplined Lean daily management approach at the point of value-adding to enable continual focus on process improvement, eliminating waste while maintaining visual controls that track critical metrics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A self-starter attitude and the ability to tackle problems with minimal direction.
• Strong experience using Google Suite and Microsoft Office applications, and project management software such as Jira and Confluence.
• Skill in using MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint at an intermediate level.
• Quick learner of new concepts.

Responsibilities

• Support launch of new projects and initiatives across the country, focusing on West Coast fulfillment operations.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of Production and Delivery Operations.
• Support the team that manages the start-up, validation, and sustainment of our existing and incoming software and systems.
• Recommend processes, procedures and modifications to improve production efficiencies, manufacturing techniques and production yields for existing products.
• Determine appropriate skills necessary for equipment/process operability and establish training requirements.
• Develop and coach current CI Engineers, building a deep bench of lean-focused teammates.
• Analyze data, use basic statistical tools and use value stream mapping to gain a deeper understanding of processes and identify strategic improvement opportunities.
• Employ a working knowledge of standard work to ensure every work activity is properly defined, displayed (point-of-use) and accurately followed by every person to enable safety adherence, consistent quality and productivity being achieved.
• Use basic Lean Principles to develop process improvement initiatives.
• Manage a portfolio of lean projects directed at reducing waste and improving quality to provide greater value; implement tools such as 5S, KPI, SMED, VSM and Kaizen.
• Implement tools such as SPC, Process Capability, Pareto analysis, Fishbone, SMED.
• Create documentation for training materials such as checklists, standard work and standard operating procedures.
• Communicate plans and other agreements to stakeholders for alignment while listening to feedback and making modifications if appropriate.
• Be a leader of change and practice servant leadership. Comfortable working with all levels of the organization while questioning the status quo and being a strong communicator.
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational and time‑management skills.
• Maintain satisfactory attendance, including timeliness and onsite presence at our Fulfillment Centers.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication skills

Data analysis

Mentoring

Data-driven decision making

Team leadership

Problem solving

Change management

Google Suite

Jira

Confluence

Education

Bachelor-level engineering degree

Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma certification

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

Google Suite

Job description

Misfits Market is a mission-driven, high-growth startup dedicated to reducing food waste and making shopping for sustainable, high-quality groceries easier and more affordable. We deliver organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, plant-based proteins, dairy, bakery, wine, and other grocery items to nearly every zip code in 48 states at up to 30 percent off traditional grocery store prices. In 2022, Misfits Market acquired sustainable e-grocer Imperfect Foods and now leverages its in-house transportation network to deliver directly to consumers with one of the most carbon-efficient grocery delivery models on the market. By tackling inefficiencies in the food system, our passionate and motivated team of problem solvers helps save an average of 500,000 pounds of food per week from waste or lesser outcomes, with an all-time savings of 190+ million pounds of food.

Values: Doing more with less, Thinking Differently, Respecting one another, Moving deliberately and quickly, Taking initiative and delivering.

About Role

The Continuous Improvement Engineer is responsible for driving projects from beginning stages to completion while having a significant impact on business needs. As a CI Engineer, you will be responsible for process improvement initiatives around the business operations in logistics and distribution while maintaining high levels of quality, safety, employee morale, cost, and production at the forefront. You will work closely with the field operations teams to implement solutions, coach, and train the operations leadership team and associates. The CI Engineer will be the data resource of the team and will ensure data-driven decisions are made.

As we launch new markets and experiment operationally, the CI Engineer ensures we continue to delight our customers and improve our unit economics by collecting, documenting, and instilling best practices across the company. This role will be focused on supporting the Operations team, serving as one of the key team members to launch, improve, and sustain our operational systems. You will be responsible for process design, project management, implementation, and data analysis to sustain your processes.

In addition, this role will play an integral part in aiding the expansion of our 3PL business vertical, allowing us to be a fulfillment partner to outside companies who look to leverage our operational and reporting capabilities to improve their supply chain operations and customer service. You will help build business processes to allow for future expansion of this critical business venture for the company.

Responsibilities

• Work with cross‑functional teams to support the launch of new projects and initiatives across the country, with a specific focus on our West Coast fulfillment operations.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of our Production and Delivery Operations.
• Support the team that manages the start-up, validation, and sustainment of our existing and incoming software and systems.
• Recommend processes, procedures and modifications to improve production efficiencies, manufacturing techniques and production yields for existing products.
• Determine appropriate skills necessary for equipment/process operability and establish training requirements.
• Develop and coach current CI Engineers, building a deep bench of lean‑focused teammates.
• Analyze data, use basic statistical tools and use value stream mapping to gain a deeper understanding of processes and identify strategic improvement opportunities.
• Employ a working knowledge of standard work to ensure every work activity is properly defined, displayed (point‑of‑use) and accurately followed by every person to enable safety adherence, consistent quality and productivity being achieved.
• Use basic Lean Principles to develop process improvement initiatives.
• Manage a portfolio of lean projects directed at reducing waste and improving quality to provide greater value; implement tools such as 5S, KPI, SMED, VSM and Kaizen.
• Implement tools such as SPC, Process Capability, Pareto analysis, Fishbone, SMED.
• Create documentation for training materials such as checklists, standard work and standard operating procedures.
• Communicate plans and other agreements to stakeholders for alignment while listening to feedback and making modifications if appropriate.
• Be a leader of change and practice servant leadership. Comfortable working with all levels of the organization while questioning the status quo and being a strong communicator.
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational and time‑management skills.
• Maintain satisfactory attendance, including timeliness and onsite presence at our Fulfillment Centers.

Skills & Qualifications

• Five to seven years of hands‑on experience in a manufacturing, warehouse and/or delivery operations environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, project management or equivalent experience.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and practices.
• Minimum of a Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification is preferred, with examples of Lean tool usage.
• Collaborate and work cross‑functionally with a variety of teams including Operations, HR, Supply, Innovation, Customer Care and Marketing.
• Work independently or collaboratively, with little supervision in a changing environment with shifting priorities.
• Recognize and identify root causes for subtle differences in processes and data sets.
• Coach and practice a disciplined Lean daily management approach at the point of value‑adding to enable continual focus on process improvement, eliminating waste while maintaining visual controls that track critical metrics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A self‑starter attitude and the ability to tackle problems with minimal direction.
• Strong experience using Google Suite and Microsoft Office applications, and project management software such as Jira and Confluence.
• Skill in using MS Excel, MS Word and MS PowerPoint at an intermediate level.
• Quick learner of new concepts.

Details of Position & Benefits

• Salary range: $85,000 – $90,000.
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan.
• Annual Misfits grocery box credit of $1,200 paid in weekly installments.

As set forth in Misfits Market’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.