CI Manager - Elk Grove Village, IL

Company Overview:

IRCA is a leading international provider of semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry and gelato markets, serving independent producers as well as large food manufacturers (e.g. CPG). Core products include chocolate, chocolate decorations, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and other bakery / pastry ingredients.

The Company, headquartered in Italy, was acquired by Advent International, the global Private Equity firm, in July 2022, and has a strong track record of growth over the last decade. IRCA has made 2 bolt-on acquisitions in the areas of candied fruits (Cesarin) and pistachio ingredients (Anastasi) in 2022, and recently entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a leading manufacturer of sweet and cereal products in Europe and the US. The target’s business focuses on high value add specialty ingredients for the Food Manufacturers segment, with a portfolio that incorporates a range of products including sweet particulates, chocolate confections, baked inclusions, variegates and fruit purées.

This transformative deal would create a global leader in the semi-finished ingredients industry, with 22 manufacturing facilities in Europe, US and Vietnam and a combined €1 billion of revenues (2022).

About the role

This position, as an integral part of the Site Leadership Team, will set the overall continuous improvement (CI) strategy and manage execution for the respective functional areas. The scope of the role influences all site activities (Production, Warehouse, HR, Finance, Engineering, QA, and Supply Chain) to contribute to operational and overall business improvement in a systematic and sustainable manner. This role is critical to the organization using lean tools to eliminate waste and enable growth. This role will also lead an overall site transformation by redesigning line layouts, material flow and labor automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an effective CI strategy that encompasses all site functions.
• Ensure this strategy meets the goals of the site and overall business strategy ensuring all stakeholders are engaged.
• Continually review and adjust the strategy in line with internal and external changes.
• Create, design, and deliver capital engineering solutions that minimize product cost to enable growth in the market.
• Identify & deliver non-capital margin enhancing cost optimization initiatives.
• Create & embed a ‘cost ownership’ mentality within the team.
• Ensure the site key performance indicators (KPI’s) (Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost) are achieved through a rigorous performance management system.
• Act as a change agent, coaching, mentoring and influencing at all levels to affect the required CI culture.
• Facilitate the education of the team in the principles, philosophies, and tools of CI. Administer training programs that foster cross-functional deployment of continuous improvement. Develop, train and mentor employees to foster a strong culture of continuous improvement.
  • Visiting the factory floor daily
  • Confirming standardized processes Demanding factual data.
  • Insisting that problems are made visible.
  • Questioning to ensure the root cause has been found.
  • Supporting the standard tiered KPI meeting governance
• Drive the standardization of all structures, work, training, procedures, and records across the plant.
• Be open to new ideas and feedback from others and be prepared to take personal risks to accelerate your growth.

What is Required:

• Bachelor's degree, or its foreign equivalent from an accredited institution in Business Management, Engineering, or a related field
• 3 years of relevant experience, 5 years manufacturing experience
• CI Knowledge: A deep understanding of the principles and tools of lean manufacturing (Visual Controls/5S, RCA, SMED, Standard Work, Line Balancing, Waste Reduction, VSM, Kaizens, TOC, PDCA, and OEE)
• Experience with implementing lean manufacturing processes and principles with a multi-functional team.
• Experience with the eight lean wastes of manufacturing, including how to address them and improve them at a food manufacturing facility.
• Experience facilitating Kaizen events using Kaizen methodology and lean tools to drive rapid, sustainable improvements in a manufacturing environment.

What will set you apart:

• Previous experience in food or pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Bilingual in Spanish
• Capital project planning.
• Line layout transformation / Design for Lean
• AutoCAD experience
• Travel up 10% to support other priorities in the business.