Industrial Performance & Digital Transformation Manager

At Ghirardelli, we honor tradition and drive innovation, aiming to be the top choice for premium chocolate. Our commitment to Making Life A Bite Better inspires both our products and the way we do business. We support personal and professional growth, recognizing that each employee’s contribution directly impacts Ghirardelli’s growth and success.

About the role

Individual contributor with cross-functional influence, responsible for San Leandro plant, Co-Pack facilities, and other areas of Supply Chain.

Responsibilities

• Leverage deep knowledge of production processes to provide strategic recommendations across multiple functions, driving efficiency, innovation, and value in product development.
• Establish and manage manufacturing standards for new products.
• Support cross-functional teams to execute production trials for new products and/or process changes while minimizing impact on cost and performance.
• Drive the implementation of digital applications, plant data collection, and reporting systems to enhance plant KPIs, decision-making, and reduce processing losses.
• Ensure accurate and complete reporting of plant performance, efficiency, and waste; recommend improvements.
• Develop, organize, and maintain material training for operations data systems and digital learning platforms.
• Provide training and guidance to teams on digital tools, loss categorization, and data-driven decision-making.
• Monitor and support KPI analysis, loss trend tracking, deployment activities, and zero loss tree initiatives to drive loss reduction across LPW pillars.
• Foster and promote a culture of ownership of performance metrics at all levels.
• Establish budget standards to support the annual budget cycle and budget reviews.
• Continuously review and optimize manufacturing standards to minimize waste and inefficiencies.
• Lead strategic initiatives such as Industry 4.0/digitalization to elevate operational maturity.
• Monitor and share industry trends and technological advancements to drive continuous improvement in San Leandro operations.
• Actively participate in LPW pillar activities and provide leadership for assigned projects.
• Support performance reporting and business planning, including preparation of the Game Plan and OPS deck for key stakeholder visits.
• Lead cost savings programs by owning the methodology, reporting, updates, and follow-up processes.
• Complete special projects and other duties as assigned or necessary.

Requirements

• BA degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in Industrial Performance, with hands-on shopfloor exposure and proven focus on loss intelligence through design, implementation, and improvement of systems that drive reduction of manufacturing, processing, and packing losses.
• Proven experience in implementing Industry 4.0/digitalization initiatives.
• Proven experience in establishing and managing manufacturing standards and cost modeling to support operations budgeting and financial planning.
• Proven experience in project management and change management.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills.
• Computer literacy in MS Office; experience with SAP is a plus.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Must be able to work seated or standing for at least 8 hours.
• Must be able to concentrate for extended periods while paying close attention to detail.
• Must be able to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Works in a regular office environment.

Schedule

Standard office hours, with flexibility to support off-shift operations as needed.

Pay

Salary range: $105,000–$137,000.