Plant CI Leader – Lean & Ops Excellence

Ach-Food-Companies,-Inc.; Summit (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free Vision Insurance

100% 401(k) Matching Program

Eleven paid holidays per year

On-site Gym

Job summary

ACH Food Companies, Inc. is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager in Summit, IL to lead plant CI initiatives and build operating systems that drive safety, quality, and productivity.

You will work hands-on with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and HR to implement standard work, visual controls, and accountability routines while developing long‑term improvement plans. The role requires 5+ years of CI leadership in manufacturing, a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field preferred (or equivalent).
• 5+ years of progressive experience leading Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, or related initiatives in manufacturing.
• Lean/Six Sigma or related CI certification preferred; practical CI implementation experience considered.
• Experience with SAP or ERP and maintenance/production management systems is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develops and leads the plant Continuous Improvement strategy aligned with company objectives and Argo facility priorities.
• Implements hands-on CI initiatives to improve safety, quality, reliability, delivery, cost, productivity, and labor utilization.
• Partners with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, Warehouse, Supply Chain, and HR to align resources with plant priorities.
• Builds foundational operating systems: daily management, standard work, visual controls, escalation, tracking, accountability, and performance reviews.
• Uses Lean methods (5S, SMED, VSM, kaizen, A3, visual management, root cause) to achieve sustainable results.
• Maintains strong plant-floor presence; observes, troubleshoots, and validates improvements in practice.
• Develops and improves OEE and line capability; analyzes downtime and asset reliability, prioritizes high-impact opportunities.
• Implements structured root cause analysis (5-Why, Fishbone, A3) to sustain corrective actions.
• Collaborates to strengthen production planning, preventive maintenance, capacity, and long-term readiness.
• Leads cross-functional improvement projects from problem ID to ROI validation and sustainability within budget.
• Translates improvement opportunities into measurable business results and cost savings.
• Supports training and change-management programs to build leadership capability.

Skills

Analytical / Systems Thinking

Problem Solving

Project Management

Operational Partnership

Communication

Change Management

Leadership / Player-Coach

Finance / Business Acumen

Training / Capability Building

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

ERP systems

SAP

Job description

ACH Food Companies, Inc. is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager in Summit, IL to lead plant CI initiatives and build operating systems that drive safety, quality, and productivity.

You will work hands-on with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and HR to implement standard work, visual controls, and accountability routines while developing long‑term improvement plans. The role requires 5+ years of CI leadership in manufacturing, a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, and