Operations Excellence Manager (Cherry Complex)

Essential Functions

• Analyze operational, yield, labor, downtime, and quality data to assess current-state performance and identify improvement opportunities across poultry processing operations.
• Lead and support Lean and continuous improvement initiatives, including waste reduction, line efficiency, yield improvement, labor optimization, and cost reduction.
• Conduct process mapping, time studies, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone) to identify bottlenecks and sources of variability.
• Support and participate in internal audits, operational assessments, and compliance reviews related to food safety, quality, animal welfare, safety, and operational standards.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Food Safety teams to implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) and ensure sustained compliance.
• Drive process, equipment, and work instruction standardization across departments and facilities to improve consistency and executional discipline.
• Manage improvement projects end-to-end, including scoping, planning, testing, implementation, training, and post-implementation validation.
• Develop and maintain project documentation, including project plans, timelines, SOPs, workflow maps, standard work, transition plans, and hand-off documentation.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across processing, live operations, maintenance, engineering, QA, and safety teams with competing priorities.
• Collect, validate, and analyze performance metrics; develop dashboards and reports to track KPIs such as yield, efficiency, labor, safety, quality, and downtime.
• Drive process improvement initiatives that improve food safety, employee safety, animal welfare outcomes, and reduce operational risk.
• Maintain and monitor the sustainability of improvements through audits, performance reviews, and management routines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Operations, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in poultry, meat processing, food manufacturing, high-volume labor-intensive operations or a related operations environment.
• Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies; Lean Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt) preferred.
• Experience supporting or participating in internal audits, operational assessments, or compliance programs.
• Strong data analysis, database management, and business operations experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, with advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and communication skills with an end-user and operations-focused mindset.
• Proven ability to identify root causes, develop corrective actions, and drive sustainable results.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Able to work effectively with diverse teams, perspectives, and backgrounds in a fast-paced production environment.
• Able to build strong relationships and influence change across all levels of the organization.