Sr. Specialist, Black Belt, CI

1101 Primary Products Ingredients Americas LLC; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 93,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Healthcare plan options

Dental & Vision insurance

401(k) with match

Paid holidays & vacation

Life, AD&D, and Disability insurance

Parental leave

Professional development

Job summary

Primient is seeking a Sr. Specialist, Black Belt, CI to lead continuous improvement initiatives within the Manufacturing Continuous Improvement team in Decatur, IL.

You will mentor Green Belts, drive data-driven projects, and embed sustainable operational efficiencies across the plant and processes. Focus areas include enabling data systems, advanced analytics, and cross-functional leadership to improve product quality, safety, and cost performance while upholding Primient’s values of safety,

Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma experience and Green/Black Belt certification.
• Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related field preferred.
• Experience leading data-driven continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead Lean Six Sigma projects with plant and transactional leadership.
• Mentor Green Belts and project teams in CI methodologies.
• Analyze operational data to identify root causes and drive improvements.
• Support POM implementation and promote a safety-first culture.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Data analytics

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Change management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in STEM

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification

Tools

PowerBI

Seeq

Aveva PI

SAP

Minitab

Job description

Sr. Specialist, Black Belt, CI | Primient

Primient About Primient Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

We’re a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

About the Role

The Sr. Specialist, Black Belt, CI sits within Manufacturing Continuous Improvement team and contributes to operational excellence by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and executing foundational CI initiatives. This role will focus enabling data systems and advanced analytics to drive business insights. This role is responsible for leading and mentoring teams in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, driving targeted process improvement initiatives, and embedding sustainable daily operational and business efficiencies. Additionally, the Sr. Specialist, Black Belt, CI champions Primient’s core values of integrity, growth, and excellence, playing a key role in achieving and maintaining high standards of operational performance.

Primary Responsibilities

• Analyze Operational Data to Drive Improvements: Utilize data analytics to identify root causes of inefficiencies and implement strategic projects focused on operational optimization.
• Manage Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Process improvement Projects: Lead process improvement projects with Plant and Transactional leadership to enhance plant efficiency, improve product quality, and reduce operating costs. Facilitate configuration and use of data systems to drive insights.
• Monitor and Report Performance Metrics: monitor and report key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure project success. Provide regular reports and insights to project sponsors and leadership to track progress.
• Facilitate Cross-Functional Team Leadership: Guide cross-functional teams through improvement initiatives, facilitating workshops and ensuring execution of process improvement activities as directed by the Primient Operating System (POM).
• Mentor and Coach Lean Six Sigma Green Belts: Provide mentorship and coaching to Green Belts and project team members, helping them build Lean SixSigma capabilities and drive continuous improvement.
• Support Primient Operating Model (POM) Implementation: Drive the plant-level implementation of POM, ensuring alignment with operations goals. Provide strategic consultations to plant teams to ensure effective and uniform implementation.
• Champion a Safety-First Culture: Advocate for and model a “Safety First” culture. Provide tools and lead projects that enhance safety standards and improve safety outcomes.

Knowledge

• Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement Methodologies
• Statistical, Simulation, Data, and Analytical Tools (e.g. Aveva PI, Data historian, Informance, OEE/Loss tracking, PowerBI, Seeq, ERP, SAP, MiniTab)
• Continuous Manufacturing Processes (operations, maintenance, EHS, quality)
• Microsoft Applications

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Project Management
• Critical Thinking
• Data analysis & interpretation
• Influential leadership
• Time management & prioritization
• Risk monitoring and mitigation
• Facilitation
• Change Management Mindsets
• Continuous Improvement approach
• Challenges the status-quo
• Action-oriented
• Composed under pressure
• Safety-first
• Results-driven
• Data-driven
• Flexible & Adaptable

Required and Preferred Education/Certification

• Certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Leader or greater (required)
• Bachelors Degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), supply chain, business administration, or finance (preferred)
• Certification in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or willingness to become certified (preferred)

Required and Preferred Work Experience

• 3+ years experience contributing as part of data driven teams like Manufacturing, Procurement, Supply Chain (planning, transportation, warehousing), etc. (required)
• 3+ years in a manufacturing organization in a decision-making capacity (preferred)
• 3+ years experience leading complex continuous improvement projects (preferred)
• Lean Six Sigma Experience (preferred)

Total Rewards

The annual pay range estimated for this position is $93,357.60 - $116,697.00 and is bonus eligible. Please note that while this range reflects the full spectrum of compensation available for this role, individual compensation will be determined based on several factors including your experience, skills, and alignment with the role's responsibilities. During the interview process there will be an opportunity to discuss how your background fits into the pay range. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• Competitive Pay
• Multiple Healthcare plan choices
• Dental and vision insurance
• A 401(k) plan with company and matching contributions
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Life, AD&D, and Voluntary Insurance plans
• Paid holidays & vacation
• Floating days off
• Parental leave for new parents
• Employee resource groups
• Learning & development programs
• Fun culture where you have an opportunity in shaping our future

Career Path & Culture

Primient is committed to a workplace that is all in – ensuring everyone has the opportunity to develop and shape a career that matters in an open culture which embraces equity, diversity and belonging. We challenge old ways of thinking; and encourage employee voices to be a guiding force for ongoing learning. Primient supports a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe our differences make better decisions, drive excellence, and deliver better business results. Primient employees experience autonomy and accountability in their role. Here, employees control their destiny as there is opportunity for career growth and pathways outside the norm.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are believers in the power of difference. We strive to represent the communities in which we operate and to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. We want Primient to be a place where every employee feels they belong and knows they are seen, heard, valued and safe to speak up. Our aspiration is to unlock the full potential in diverse perspectives, while offering everyone an equal chance to grow, Primient is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.

Primient is a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational expertise that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from start to finish, we focus our priorities on producing the safest, highest quality ingredients through practices that uphold our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Our employees, some of whom are second and third generation legacy, understand the importance of maintaining the highest levels of safety, excellence, and integrity in all that we do. We continue to grow with a century long history of ingenuity that started with agricultural visionary Augustus “Gene” Staley. Staley’s “can do” attitude and entrepreneurial spirit continue to inspire Primient in new ways that ensure we honor our traditions to confidently trail blaze ahead. We proudly walk the halls of the ‘Castle in the Cornfields’ administration building in Decatur, IL, US, tracing our rich heritage and planning for the next big ideas.