Poultry Operations Excellence Engineer I

Foster Farms; Livingston (CA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Foster Farms in Livingston, CA is seeking an Operational Excellence Engineer I to drive continuous improvement across poultry processing operations, leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and data analysis. Reporting to the Complex Manager, you will partner with live production, maintenance, QA, safety, and other teams to identify opportunities, map processes, implement CAPAs, and deliver measurable value.

The role emphasizes standardization, KPI dashboards, and cross-functional collaboration in a

Qualifications

• Strong data analysis, database management, and business operations experience.
• Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies; Lean Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt) preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced Excel skills preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collect and analyze operational, yield, labor, downtime, and quality data to assess current-state performance and identify opportunities across poultry processing operations.
• Conduct analysis and process mapping, time studies, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis (5 Whys, Fishbone) to identify bottlenecks.
• Collaborate on and design Lean and continuous improvement initiatives, including waste reduction, line efficiency, yield improvement, labor optimization, and cost reduction.
• Develop internal audits, operational assessments, and compliance reviews related to food safety, quality, animal welfare, safety, and operational standards.
• Design, coordinate and implement CAPAs and ensure sustained compliance.
• Drive standardization of processes, equipment, and work instructions across departments and facilities.
• Plan and manage improvement projects end-to-end, including scoping, planning, testing, implementation, and validation.
• Develop and maintain project documentation, SOPs, workflow maps, and hand-off materials.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration with processing, live operations, maintenance, engineering, QA, and safety teams.
• Collect, validate, and analyze KPIs; develop dashboards and reports for yield, efficiency, safety, and quality.
• Identify initiatives that improve food safety, employee safety, and animal welfare while reducing risk.
• Support sustainability initiatives through audits, performance reviews, and routine management.
• Serve as an active member of the Operational Excellence team.

Skills

Data analysis

Lean Six Sigma

Project management

Cross-functional

Advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

Foster Farms in Livingston, CA is seeking an Operational Excellence Engineer I to drive continuous improvement across poultry processing operations, leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and data analysis. Reporting to the Complex Manager, you will partner with live production, maintenance, QA, safety, and other teams to identify opportunities, map processes, implement CAPAs, and deliver measurable value.

The role emphasizes standardization, KPI dashboards, and cross-functional collaboration in a