Senior Manager, Manufacturing Excellence

Chobani; Norton Shores (MI); On-site; USD 109,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with match

Parental leave

Wellness programs

On-site gym access

Job summary

Chobani is seeking a Senior Manager of Manufacturing for the Norton Shores, MI plant. The role provides strategic leadership to drive safety, quality, and performance, with a strong focus on Lean and Six Sigma, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement across the facility.

The position requires extensive time on the production floor, leading managers and supervisors, and delivering on operational excellence initiatives in a fast-paced, multi-SKU environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering, manufacturing, business administration, or related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive experience in manufacturing, production, or operations leadership; 3-5 years leading managers/supervisors; experience in fast-paced multi-SKU environment preferred.
• Willing to spend significant time on the production floor with employees at all levels.
• Experience leading or participating in a site transformation preferred.
• Strong leadership and management skills to empower teams.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, quality systems, and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma).
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute manufacturing strategies to improve productivity, efficiency, quality, and performance.
• Leadership & Talent Development: Build leadership pipeline and succession plans.
• Operational Excellence: Identify opportunities for process optimization, cost reduction, and waste elimination; champion lean and standardized processes.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead cross-functional teams in CI initiatives and foster a culture of accountability.
• Sales & Operations Planning: Align production with customer demand and improve responsiveness.
• Capacity & Workforce Planning: Ensure staffing and equipment align with current demand and future growth.
• Performance Management & Analytics: Monitor KPIs like safety, quality, productivity, downtime, and OEE; take corrective action.
• Quality Assurance: Maintain strong QC standards with QA team.
• Manufacturing Optimization: Improve labor utilization, production flow, changeover, material usage, and equipment effectiveness.
• Capital Projects & Operational Readiness: Partner on capital projects and site expansions.
• Safety & GMP Compliance: Champion safety and GMPs; uphold food safety and product quality.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Chobani is seeking a Senior Manager of Manufacturing for the Norton Shores, MI plant. The role provides strategic leadership to drive safety, quality, and performance, with a strong focus on Lean and Six Sigma, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement across the facility.

The position requires extensive time on the production floor, leading managers and supervisors, and delivering on operational excellence initiatives in a fast-paced, multi-SKU environment.