Sr Mgr Operations Excellence

The Hershey Company; United States; On-site; USD 142,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellbeing

Financial Security

Time Off & Flexibility

Growth & Development

Job summary

The Hershey Company is seeking a Sr Mgr of Operations Excellence at the Robinson, IL site to lead the site’s Integrated Continuous Improvement program using TPM, Lean, and Six Sigma. This role partners with plant leadership to set objectives, governance, and work plans aligned with priorities.

You will drive safety, quality, service, cost, and engagement improvements while leading a team across Process Leads and training pillars.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience, including manufacturing experience and demonstrated leadership of continuous improvement or operational excellence initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Robinson site Operations Excellence strategy and Integrated Continuous Improvement program using TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Excel

SAP S/4

Power BI

Augmentir

Electronic Value Stream Mapping

TPM

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Six Sigma Green Belt

Tools

Augmentir

Electronic Value Stream Mapping

Job description

Job Location: Robinson, IL

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat®, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.

Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.

The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.

How will you fit in the big picture?

The Sr Mgr Operations Excellence will lead the Robinson site Operations Excellence strategy and Integrated Continuous Improvement program for a 1,000-person manufacturing facility using TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies. This role partners with plant leadership to establish objectives, governance, performance standards, audits, and work plans aligned with site and company priorities. As a key change leader, you will drive improvement across safety, quality, service, cost, engagement, and operating performance through structured problem solving and a healthy improvement pipeline. This role leads 7 direct reports and 12 indirect reports, with the Process Leads, Labor & Scheduling, Learning and Development Pillar, and Training teams reporting into the role.

What will you do?

• - Lead the Robinson site Operations Excellence strategy and Integrated Continuous Improvement program using TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies.
• - Partner with plant leadership to establish objectives, governance, performance standards, audits, and work plans aligned with site and company priorities.
• - Lead and develop an organization of 7 direct reports and 12 indirect reports across Process Leads, Labor & Scheduling, the Learning and Development Pillar, and Training.
• - Drive improvement across safety, quality, service, cost, engagement, and operating performance through structured problem solving and a healthy improvement pipeline.
• - Coach and develop leaders, Process Leads, line-centric teams, and employees across shifts to strengthen capability, ownership, and consistent use of CI tools.
• - Guide line deployment, pillar development, Focus Teams, capability progression, and the sustainability of Hershey Lean across the site.
• - Monitor performance and financial impact against multi-year glidepaths, identify major risks or roadblocks, and communicate clear updates to senior stakeholders.
• - Lead deployment of Connected Worker solutions, including Augmentir, and advance Electronic Value Stream Mapping to strengthen digital work processes and frontline adoption.
• - Proactively analyze operating trends using Excel, SAP S/4, and Power BI, translate insights into clear actions, and communicate measurable results to stakeholders.
• - Coordinate with central teams and Operations Excellence leaders across the network to share knowledge and support consistent, scalable implementation.

Minimum Education & Requirements

Experience:

• - 7+ years of relevant experience, including manufacturing experience and demonstrated leadership of continuous improvement or operational excellence initiatives.
• - Proven results building Lean adoption and implementing digital work processes are required. Experience in high-speed consumer packaged goods manufacturing is highly preferred.
• - Advanced Excel skills and strong SAP S/4 and Power BI capabilities are required;
• - Experience with Augmentir Connected Worker, Electronic Value Stream Mapping, TPM, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, change management, and performance analytics is preferred. Must be able to clearly articulate insights, actions, and measurable results.

Education:

• - Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related discipline strongly preferred, MBA a plus.
• - Six Sigma Green Belt certification or above preferred.

Benefits and Perks

• - Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health
• - Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
• - Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
• - Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

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The anticipated base salary range for this role is $141,520 to $176,900 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and ,training. In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance‑based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well‑being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey’s benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well‑being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans. You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability.
You can request an accommodation via phone or email.To request an accommodation via phone, please call [phone] and leave a voicemail with your contact information. You may also email a request for accommodation to [e-mail]. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Needed” in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.