Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Leader

Kroger; Elgin (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kroger is seeking a Plant Continuous Improvement leader to drive CI across Safety, Quality and Reliability at our facility in Elgin, South Carolina. You will lead cross-functional teams, apply Lean Six Sigma to projects and mentor staff to sustain improvements within our Food Safety and Quality framework.

Join a team focused on reducing variability, increasing efficiency and achieving annual savings while upholding Kroger’s core values and customer-first strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of proven, successful leadership of teams.
• Manufacturing experience.
• Ability to guide teams to actionable solutions.
• Strong negotiation, oral and written communication skills.
• Strong mathematical, analytical and conceptual skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist plant teams with goal-setting and tracking CI measures.
• Select/apply appropriate CI tools to improve line capacity, line efficiency, process reliability, mean time between failure.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma tools and DMAIC to complete projects with annual savings and support root cause analysis.
• Create control plans to produce sustainable gains.
• Lead teams to solve problems, eliminate waste and reduce variation.
• Travel occasionally to attend CI training and leader conferences.
• Follow Kroger Food Safety and Quality Principles and ensure compliance.
• Mentor/coach teams on CI and Lean/Six Sigma methodology.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing experience

Problem solving

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Lead and facilitate plant Continuous Improvement (CI) efforts. Apply appropriate tools to drive improvements in Safety, Quality and Reliability (SQR). Perform all jobs safely, efficiently and accurately to maintain and improve the performance of the entire plant in the areas of Safety, Quality, Reliability (SQR) and our Customer 1st strategy. Provide leadership that embodies our 7 Kroger Manufacturing High Performance Work System principles. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Responsibilities

• Assist plant teams with goal-setting and tracking CI measures
• Select/apply appropriate CI tools to improve line capacity, line efficiency, process reliability, mean time between failure and other key measures
• Apply Lean Six Sigma tools and the DMAIC process to complete projects with annual savings and provide technical expertise to support root cause analysis process
• Create control plans to produce sustainable gains
• Lead teams to solve problems, eliminate waste and reduce variation
• Participate in all relevant aspects of project management initiatives and support commissioning, qualification and verification for capital projects
• Mentor/coach teams on CI and Lean/Six Sigma methodology
• Utilize Kroger downtime system to identify/priorise improvement opportunities
• Develop/ leverage collaborative relationships to achieve work goals
• Identify and understand issues and opportunities; compare data from different sources to draw conclusions, use effective approaches for choosing a course of action, & take action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, & probable consequences
• Travel occasionally to attend CI training and CI leader conferences
• Follow established programs, policies and practices to produce safe quality foods that meet regulatory and company requirements
• Accountable to the Kroger Manufacturing Food Safety and Quality Principles
• Must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation
• Must be able to work around ingredients and/or finished products known to contain food allergens

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree engineering or a related field, or equivilant experience
• 2+ years of proven, successful leadership of teams
• Manufacturing experience
• Ability to guide a teams to collectively create actionable solutions
• Ability to remain flexible and adjust promptly and effectively during times of change
• Proven ability to leverage the capabilities and insights of individuals with diverse styles, abilities and motivations to achieve strong results
• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Strong negotiation, oral and written communication skills
• Strong mathematical, analytical and conceptual skills, balanced by ability to apply common sense

Desired Qualifications

• Experience developing/reengineering business processes from current to future state
• Black Belt certified and level 8 requirements complete as outlined in the CI training manual
• Green Belt certified and level 7 requirements completed as outlined in the CI training manual
• Experience with Lean or Six Sigma implementation and project management
• Training or exposure to statistical analysis