Continuous Improvement Manager

Who we are

Skjodt-Barrett is a world-class manufacturer of food solutions and custom ingredients for North America's most beloved and trusted brands. We take pride in working closely with our customers to understand their unique needs and create innovative, individualized solutions that deliver joy to their customers.

A family-founded company started over 35 years ago, we are backed by the investment company Axel Johnson Inc (AJI). With their investment and support, we are well-positioned to foster growth and explore new opportunities.

Our customers, blue-chip international brands and mid-sized producers alike, are why we exist. Our teams of innovators, communicators, and managers are the people who meet their needs, build trust, and exceed their expectations. 

Who we need

We have a newly created opportunity for a Continuous Improvement Manager to join our Operational Leadership Team that works across both of our sites - in Lebanon, Indiana and Brampton, Ontario. You will play a critical role in proactively identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions to enhance our competitiveness and profitability, aligning initiatives with our Speed-to-Market strategy and “One Plant” design. You will provide strategic thinking within operations, translate ideas into reality, and serve as a critical funnel point for all prospective initiatives.

What’s in it for you

Impact and autonomy. This role offers the opportunity to impact the efficiency and success of our production operations significantly. You will play a key role in growing our position as a leading manufacturer of complex food ingredients and products for globally recognized brands. As a member of the leadership team, you will have the influence to create a pipeline of improvement activities.

Career development. At Skjodt-Barrett, we value the drive to bring ideas to life and the resilience to be accountable for your actions. This is a rare chance to elevate your career by working alongside the Chief Operating Officer and taking a lead role in optimizing our plant operations and capital spending. You will draw on your experience to build out continuous improvement best practices and speed-to-market initiatives.

How you will make an impact:

• Plan. You will lead and manage a mapping activity for our plants, align initiatives with KPIs, and develop a comprehensive pipeline of improvement activities. You will work directly with Plant Managers and their teams to plan, implement, and oversee specific CI projects to drive the lowest possible operational cost. You will provide technical processing expertise to support yield improvement activities.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement projects. You will leverage insights to create sustainable continuous improvement practices in the plant. You will focus resources based on CI, Speed-to-Market priorities, and measurable impact. You will lead fiscal and strategic operational improvement projects.
• Develop and manage the capital strategy. You will own the capital plan and align project planning with a multi-year view of spending. You will lead the feasibility routine, assessing current capabilities and implementing new ones to ascertain the value and ROI of proposed projects. You will standardize measurement practices across both sites and make data-driven decisions and action plans to bring projects to fruition.
• Be a thought leader. You will lead, develop, and coordinate continuous improvement transformation plans for plant management and supervisors, including charter development and implementation plans. You will influence and guide cross-functional teams to meet project deliverables on time and within budget.

What you bring to the role:

• The experience. You have direct knowledge of high-speed manufacturing environments, lean processes such as Six Sigma. You have proven success in identifying and rolling out continuous improvement initiatives and implementing best practices to optimize production and spending in a multi-site organization. You can analyze data to draw insights and convert insights into actionable deliverables. You have experience planning resources and overseeing projects from end to end. You can seamlessly adapt to changes in priorities and shift your focus when necessary.
• The leadership. You have a results-oriented mindset focusing on achieving objectives and driving business success. You operate with high integrity, attention to detail, and a commitment to upholding ethical and regulatory standards. You have been directly involved in strategic conversations leading to impactful, organization-wide decisions. You have the confidence to take new ideas forward and productively challenge the status quo. You think logically and execute tactically when managing complex and ambiguous problems.
• The interpersonal skills. You have outstanding professional written and verbal skills. You excel at gaining trust and building relationships with internal teams and can influence without authority. You have finely tuned collaboration and negotiation skills. You genuinely appreciate diverse experiences and backgrounds and are interested in understanding others, hearing their perspectives, and addressing their concerns.

Why join?

We've got great taste. We care deeply about fostering a culture of transparency, responsibility, and integrity. It’s what drives us to make great-tasting, convenient, and healthy ingredients that our customers depend on. With a focus on nurturing and growing our employees' careers and professional satisfaction, we believe in open communication, idea sharing, and knowledge building. Skjodt-Barrett is committed to building an inclusive culture that helps to create longevity, growth, and innovation in the food industry.

We are working towards a sustainable future. We believe that what’s good for people and the planet is good for profit. It is everyone’s responsibility to do their part. We recognize the growing need to prioritize sustainability in manufacturing, and we continue to take steps to evolve. We strive to accelerate the adoption of sustainable packaging and food products to be a responsible partner for our customers and for the greater good. We take our role as a supply chain partner to heart and adhere to a strict Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure that our vendors uphold the integrity and values we live by.

We believe actions speak louder than words. Every day, we come together to exceed the expectations of our customers, each other and ourselves, inspired by our values:

• We care. About family, honesty, and respect.
• We communicate. Across every level, often, effectively, and clearly.
• We Empower. With trust, Integrity, and accountability.
• We Deliver. Every time, through teamwork, innovation, and results.

We support and care for our employees and their families. 

Benefits and perks we offer include comprehensive health, dental, paramedical and long term disability. 

Apply now.

At Skjodt-Barrett, we aim for diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in all of our operations and interactions. We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and want to play an integral role in delivering innovative food product solutions, apply to express your interest. 

What you can expect from our interview process:

1. A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role and your experience.
2. An interview with the Hiring Manager to discuss how your  Continuous Improvement, strategic planning and project management experience aligns with the needs of the role and the organization.
3. An on-site plant tour and a panel interview with the Hiring Manager, local Plant Manager and another leadership team member. This will be a chance to see firsthand the plant setup, understand current standards, and discuss future plans.

Skjodt-Barrett welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know what accommodations you require across the selection process.

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