Continuous Improvement Specialist

Location: Albuquerque, NM | Type: Contract

Overview

Leading food manufacturing company looking for an experienced Continuous Improvement Specialist to focus on changeover improvements for the Chewy Bars platform.

Responsibilities

• Focus on changeover improvements by collaborating with platform teams, floor teams, site FSQ, and department management.
• Apply tools such as process mapping, value stream mapping, 5 whys, fishbones, and a learning mindset to identify opportunities to reduce changeover time while maintaining safety and effectiveness.
• Learn about current equipment and cleaning processes, identify improvement opportunities, and develop experiments to enhance changeover efficiency.
• Execute experiments during changeovers, agree on success criteria, and implement process changes as feasible.
• Identify longest lead items, develop standardized processes, and improve resource allocation during changeovers.
• Create and revise standard task flows around changeover execution to enhance speed without compromising safety or effectiveness.
• Work with FSQ to develop risk rankings and understand why cleaning is performed on each item, minimizing overcleaning.
• Collaborate with floor and platform teams to establish minimal cleaning requirements.
• Investigate external best practices from other sites and industries, incorporating innovative and safer cleaning methods.
• Identify pain points, develop easier cleaning methods, and present capital improvement opportunities to engineering.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives, conduct responsible experiments, and embrace a learning mindset.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Technical field with minimum 5 years of manufacturing experience OR HS Diploma with minimum 10 years of manufacturing experience.
• Working knowledge of data systems including manufacturing, asset management, quality tracking, ERP, and safety/environment systems (e.g., MAXIMO, MQIS, INSQL, GSTEMS).
• Demonstrated ability to apply foundational systems and drive system utilization.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to coach teams and utilize standards and processes for continuous improvement.

Pay

$61-$66.66 per hour

Schedule

40 hours per week, onsite

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Spending accounts
• Life insurance and voluntary plans
• 401(k) plan