We are excited to announce that we are looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager to join our rapidly growing company. With thirty years of growth in the global pet food sector, our ORIJEN and ACANA brands define our vision of being The Global Leader in Advancing Premium Food for Pets. If you are passionate about personal and professional growth and see yourself as a key player contributing to our continued success by working in our award-winning company – we would love to hear from you.

Summary

This is a tremendous opportunity for an experienced Continuous Improvement professional to make a significant contribution to the success of a highly respected global brand by enhancing manufacturing processes and creating opportunities for profit improvement.

Reporting to the Plant Director, the Continuous Improvement Manager will provide CI leadership for our US manufacturing and warehouse operations. You, along with the support of the Production team, will implement programs and processes to develop a continuous improvement culture and drive operational excellence. This position will be based out of our state-of-the-art operations facility in Auburn, KY.

Job Duties

• Identify & implement opportunities in collaboration with others for improvement which result in profit savings for all areas of Champion’s US Operations
• Implement cost savings initiatives.
• Utilize data collected through ERP, and other data collections systems to provide insights into processes and productivity, and use knowledge gained to improve processes, increase productivity, and reduce costs.
• Plan cross-functional team CI events and provide analysis/feedback on the outcomes.
• Aid in development of production standards and how to meet and exceed these standards using Lean concepts.
• Implement management system tools such as Visual Boards, GEMBA walks, Kaizen events etc.
• Track and report the outcomes of Continuous Improvement team efforts from a cost/productivity standpoint.
• Encourage participation in Continuous Improvement and man assist department heads to manage operating budgets.
• Coordinate meetings with any team members about improvement projects, savings opportunities, and potential projects that support Champion’s overall business strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering, business administration, or related field required & Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and lead cross-functional teams with the ability to meet cost savings objectives.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Continuous Improvement role
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal including presenting, and written, with ability to accurately complete required paperwork
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Advanced data organization and Excel skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently or effectively as part of a cross-functional team.

Come as you are.

We value diversity in all forms and know the power it can bring. Workplace equality allows for creative ideas to bloom, diverse points of views to be heard, and increases overall happiness. That sounds pretty good to us.

Champion is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.