Senior Continuous Improvement Specialist - Focused Improvement

Conagra Brands; Russellville (AR); On-site; USD 79,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company dedicated to continuous improvement in manufacturing excellence. This role offers a unique opportunity to lead focused improvement initiatives across a diverse manufacturing network, collaborating with teams to optimize processes and drive performance. You will utilize your expertise in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to identify opportunities for improvement, develop enterprise-level dashboards, and facilitate cross-site collaboration. With a commitment to employee growth and well-being, this innovative firm provides a supportive environment where your contributions will make a significant impact. If you are passionate about driving change and enhancing operational efficiency, this position is perfect for you.

Benefits

Comprehensive healthcare plans

Wellness incentive program

Mental wellbeing support

Fitness reimbursement

Bonus incentive opportunity

Matching 401(k)

Stock purchase plan

Career development opportunities

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible work-schedules

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing or industrial engineering roles.
• Hands-on experience with Lean, Six Sigma, and other CI methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Identify systemic loss opportunities and execute targeted FI projects.
• Develop dashboards and reports to support decision-making.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

DMAIC

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Project Management

Data Analysis

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology

Tools

Power BI

SQL

Advanced Excel

Job description

Reporting to the Director Continuous Improvement – Industrial Engineering you'll support the (IE)FI Manager within the Manufacturing Excellence organization by guiding Focused Improvement (FI) methodologies and projects across our manufacturing network. You will ensure agreement on enterprise-level goals by identifying loss opportunities, ensuring cross-site collaboration, and supporting the implementation of improvement strategies. You'll serve as a resource for multiple facilities, help build site-level capabilities while contributing to system-wide optimization efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with manufacturing sites across the network to identify systemic loss opportunities and execute targeted FI projects that align with corporate goals.
• Collaborate with plant teams to standardize processes and share best practices across the network.
• Analyze multi-site data to identify trends, chronic losses, and areas for improvement.
• Develop enterprise-level dashboards and reports using tools such as Power BI, SQL, or equivalent platforms to support decision-making and track performance.
• Lead cross-site technical projects to address common inefficiencies, such as line performance, throughput variability, and labor optimization.
• Use techniques like DMAIC, statistical process control (SPC), and design of experiments (DOE) to guide data-informed improvements.
• Support the rollout of Focused Improvement tools (e.g., Unified Problem Solving, Lean, Six Sigma) across the enterprise.
• Assist in the alignment of key performance indicators (KPIs) across facilities to ensure consistency and achievement of enterprise targets.
• Provide training and hands-on support to site-level teams on FI methodologies, including Value Stream Mapping, Loss Tree development, and root cause analysis (RCA).
• Work with site leaders to develop their capabilities and sustain FI practices at the plant level.
• Partner with other Manufacturing Excellence pillars (e.g., Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance) to align plans and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Facilitate cross-site collaboration to guide systemic improvements and ensure the transfer of knowledge across the network.
• Develop and maintain enterprise standards for process optimization, routing, and time studies to ensure consistency across sites.
• Create playbooks and toolkits to support continuous improvement efforts across the company.
• Collaborate with the Senior FI Manager to assess opportunities for network-wide capital projects and provide data-driven justifications for investments.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, continuous improvement, or industrial engineering roles with a multi-site or corporate scope.
• Hands-on experience with Lean, Six Sigma, Unified Problem Solving (UPS), and other CI methodologies.
• Proficiency in tools such as Power BI, SQL, or Advanced Excel (can perform complex functions) for multi-site data analysis and visualization.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and collaborating across a diverse manufacturing network.
• Familiarity with Focused Improvement tools like DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Project management experience within a matrixed environment.
• Ability to travel up to 50% to manufacturing sites across the network.
• At this time, we require applicants for this role to be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring employer sponsorship either now or in the future.

Compensation:

Pay Range: $79,000-$115,000

The annual salary listed above is the expected offering for this position. An employee’s actual annual salary will be based on but not limited to: location, relevant experience/level and skillset, while balancing internal Conagra employees’ equity. Conagra Brands will comply with applicable law regarding minimum salaries for exempt employees.

Anticipated Close Date:

May 30, 2025

Our Benefits:

We care about your total well-being and will support you with the following, subject to your location and role:

• Health: Comprehensive healthcare plans, wellness incentive program, mental wellbeing support and fitness reimbursement
• Wealth: Great pay, bonus incentive opportunity, matching 401(k) and stock purchase plan
• Growth: Career development opportunities, employee resource groups, on-demand learning and tuition reimbursement
• Balance: Paid-time off, parental leave, flexible work-schedules (subject to your location and role) and volunteer opportunities

Our Company:

At Conagra Brands, we have a rich heritage of making great food. We aspire to have the most impactful, energized and inclusive culture in food. As a member of our 18,000+ person team across 40+ locations, you are empowered to reach your potential, make an impact and own your career. We're in the business of building champions – within our people and our iconic brands like Birds Eye, Slim Jim and Reddi-Wip.

Our focus on innovation extends beyond making great food, it also reflects our commitment to embracing new solutions that positively impact our team, the communities we serve and the health of our planet. Foodies Welcome.

Conagra Brands is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law. Reasonable accommodation may be made upon request.