Overview

Blommer has been providing delicious, high quality chocolate and cocoa products to customers since 1939. Built as a family business, we are continuing to grow and are looking for motivated and reliable associates to help in our mission of Bringing Chocolate to Life!

Position Title: Operational Excellence Specialist 

Reports to: Operations Manager

Newly Created Position. 

JOB SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for directing process improvement activities to help ensure the overall plant business objectives are achieved. The role provides support, guidance, and action to plant leadership teams that drive lean behaviors targeting elimination of waste and variation from our manufacturing and business processes while steering multi-disciplinary teams past operational obstacles in support of the delivery of organizational goals. This role facilitates the use of the RedZone platform at the plant. 

Responsibilities

• Drive the implementation of Continuous Improvement strategies and initiatives by partnering with and supporting plant leadership and corporate leaders to improve current operational processes.
• Ensure alignment between the site improvement plans and the organizations goals and initiatives to achieve the desired metrics within project execution timelines.
• Drive and implement focused efforts aimed at breakthrough and incremental improvements in departmental processes that meet and exceed plant operational performance metrics.
• Utilize Statistical Process Control, Lean, and Six Sigma methods to establish and maintain a continuous improvement culture that drives out waste, improves equipment reliability, increases productivity, and improves customer service performance. 
• Support tactical and strategic planning for the continuous improvement work at assigned plant in alignment with the plant leadership team. Develop, maintain, and revise work plans as appropriate. Integrate work with other departmental initiatives and revise projects as needed.
• Advance company metrics (safety, quality, productivity, delivery, cost, and morale).
• Provide guidance to plant leadership and line teams on the habits and disciplines of a successful continuous improvement culture.
• Regularly review performance expectations with leadership teams across the organization, providing expectations, performance planning, feedback, training and development.
• Drive implementation of best practices as defined by key operational excellence initiatives.
• Support development and usage of key manufacturing systems (like RedZone, ERP, CMMS, BI).
• Facilitate the invoicing, planning, resource coordination, implementation, and ongoing communication between RedZone and the plant.
• Facilitate the alignment of the RedZone platform between plants.
• Establish and facilitate standard reporting of RedZone data for the plant. 
• Facilitate Kaizen activities and follow up on action plans.
• Ensure RedZone platform is operational and functioning; operators are trained on the use of and access to the RedZone system.
• Create reports in RedZone utilizing tableau.
• Facilitate ongoing operational excellence meetings using RedZone; provide analysis of reports, challenge data, and how teams utilize the system.

Qualifications

• Three years’ experience to include: continuous improvement involvement, experience supporting large projects, influencing team members, driving change.
• Basic knowledge and experience in equipment and processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with cGMPs and other regulatory guidelines applicable to the manufacture of food.
• Communication, organizational, computer, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Teaching and presentation skills.

Blommer Chocolate Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.