Continuous Improvement Manager

A SWEET Place to work!

Our facility in Bonner Springs, KS is one of the largest muffin producers in the country, producing close to 800,000 muffins per day! No matter how our business grows, one thing remains the same: a deep commitment to customer care, exceptional technical expertise and rigorous standards of excellence. Our promise is to deliver fresh ideas and superior formulations that help our customers create a one-of-a-kind experience.

Rise Baking Company was founded by bakery experts passionate about providing our customers with high quality products and providing a positive, collaborative place to work for our people.

We are a company built on elevating expectations. It’s what sets us apart from others in the baking industry. And our people are our finest ingredient.

We believe the quality of our people is just as important as the quality of our products. Our environment encourages creativity, and we value an entrepreneurial and industrious approach to work —a place where honesty, respect, and trust are the essential ingredients for how we do business. We take pride in working with creative individuals with a passion for what they do, and we’re always looking to expand our team.

We offer a wide variety of professional and management opportunities, including sales, product development, account management, general management, finance, engineering, administration, and information systems management. We also employ a diverse workforce of hourly food production, packaging, quality assurance, warehouse, sanitation personnel, leads, and supervisors.

Like our products, our benefits package offers quality that makes a difference.

Coverage options may include:

• Medical, dental, life, disability, vision, and supplemental insurance
• Company paid holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO) plans
• Performance bonus potential
• 401k plan with company match

Job Purpose

Develop and successfully execute performance and reliability improvements across the facility. Serving as a key technical and operations resource, deliver improved, sustainable line performance through enhancing production and maintenance operating systems and margin improvement/cost savings on operational projects.

Essential Functions

• Manage the continuous improvement program and all operational and workplace organization standards
• Utilize TPM and lean flow methodologies to optimize asset and employee effectiveness along with workplace organization to ensure ideal production rates, parameters, and formulas are established and met
• Develop and manage reliability improvement plans for employees and assets
• Lead and facilitate mindset training programs to support reliability improvement plans
• Lead testing and startup for packaging materials and equipment; assist startup lead for all new projects
• Provide technical operations support for capital projects to ensure effective early management/vertical startup
• Manage new product commercialization initiatives for operations
• Serve as technical liaison between functional groups including production/maintenance employees, leadership, marketing, sales, R&D, and other facilities
• Lead cost improvement efforts, ensuring annual cost target achievement is met, specifically focused on manufacturing/operations
• Support plant leadership in annual operating and capital plan development
• Facilitate training to leadership and associates for key problem solving/continuous improvement methodology tools
• Assist team in creating and sustaining an environment of continuous improvement and fact-based decision making
• Support food safety program, quality standards, and legality of manufactured products
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications (Education, Experience, Competencies)

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in industrial or mechanical engineering, business, or finance or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing or engineering, preferably with food packaging and bakery equipment, packaging materials (film, corrugate, etc.), and related manufacturing systems/processes
• Ability to lead and support multiple projects and strategic initiatives concurrently and independently
• Complex problem solving and critical thinking skills, leveraging process-driven and root cause mentality
• Lean-minded thinker
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong knowledge of product quality, FDA, OSHA, and EPA regulations