Manufacturing Excellence Associate Manager

About the role

Driven by integrity and united by the people-and-pet bond, we find strong purpose in the work we do and an even greater joy in those we get to work alongside. Together, we harness the expertise of our long-standing tradition of excellence to embrace possibility and continuously push to do what's never been done before in pet care. Discover your purpose and fuel your passions when you bring your love of pets to a team that prides itself on the power of togetherness—We are Proudly Connected. Purely Driven.

Located in southeast Missouri, Bloomfield is a small town with rich history, and we are proud to call it home to one of our litter factories since 1976. Our factory in Bloomfield was the first to produce Lightweight® litter, a product that weighs half the amount of conventional litter, revolutionizing the pet care industry. An innovative feature of this factory is an overhead bridge that allows full pallets of finished products to be conveyed to a warehouse with an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) just north of the factory. This innovation, along with others, played a significant role in Nestlé Purina earning the Malcolm Baldrige Award, the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. As an Associate Manager of Manufacturing Excellence, you’ll facilitate and support plant productivity by implementing Nestlé’s Continuous Excellence (NCE) improvement methodologies, including Total Performance Management, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma. You will act as support to the Manufacturing Excellence Manager and provide direct leadership to our team of Continuous Improvement Leads.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and support plant productivity by implementing Nestlé’s Continuous Excellence (NCE) improvement methodologies, including Total Performance Management, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma.
• Act as support to the Manufacturing Excellence Manager and provide direct leadership to our team of Continuous Improvement Leads.
• Provide continuous improvement project support and leadership, including the delegated supervision of employees allocated to those assignments.
• Drive and implement TPM (Total Performance Management) methodologies through direct coaching and training.
• Perform regular focused improvement assessments to ensure the correct application of methods, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
• Support and direct coaching for all Nestlé Continuous Excellence pillars to drive world‑class manufacturing.
• Support industrial performance activities in the factory, including Nestlé manufacturing performance metrics.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain or related field.
• 2+ years’ experience in Total Performance Management (TPM) and a focus on continuous improvement efforts within a manufacturing, military, or related environment.
• 1+ years coaching, training or leadership experience.

Don’t meet all the qualifications listed under “other”? These are preferred, but not required.

Benefits

• Performance‑based incentives.
• Competitive total rewards package including:
• 401(k) with Company match.
• Healthcare coverage.
• A broad range of other benefits.

Pay

The approximate pay range for this position is $91,999.80 to $129,405.00 per year.

Bonus eligibility: Yes.

Note: The pay range provided is a good‑faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range.