Process Improvement Project Specialist

About the role

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table at Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a stable, farmer- and employee-led dairy cooperative owned by 200+ local family farms. We process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under trusted brands like Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®. In this role, you’ll drive sustainable farming, strengthen communities, and help deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day by leading cross-functional projects to improve manufacturing operations, increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve quality and safety, and enhance overall business performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned improvement projects from initial concept through implementation, stabilization, and closeout, including developing project charters, objectives, timelines, milestones, resource requirements, and measures of success.
• Establish and maintain project plans, coordinate cross-functional teams, facilitate meetings, and provide regular updates to leadership on progress, challenges, financial impact, and expected outcomes.
• Identify project risks, barriers, dependencies, and resource needs; escalate issues as appropriate and ensure project documentation is maintained.
• Coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing initiatives based on business needs and expected impact.
• Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing processes, productivity, quality, safety, reliability, labor utilization, material usage, and operating costs.
• Observe and evaluate current-state processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, bottlenecks, duplication, and opportunities for standardization; develop and document future-state processes and recommendations.
• Utilize continuous improvement principles and tools such as Lean, root cause analysis, process mapping, 5S, standard work, and PDCA/A3 methodologies.
• Facilitate root cause analysis and problem-solving activities for recurring operational issues; partner with plant leadership and employees to develop practical solutions.
• Assist with the development and implementation of standard operating procedures, work instructions, and standardized processes.
• Identify opportunities to leverage technology, automation, equipment, systems, or process changes to improve operational performance.
• Work directly with manufacturing facilities to evaluate production processes and identify improvement opportunities; analyze production performance, downtime, labor utilization, yield, scrap, quality, throughput, and other operational measures.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability, preventative maintenance, downtime, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Partner with Quality and Food Safety to ensure process improvements maintain compliance with regulatory, food safety, quality, and company requirements.
• Support projects involving production scheduling, staffing, workflow, material movement, inventory, sanitation, changeovers, and other operational activities.
• Assist in evaluating capital improvement opportunities and developing business cases when appropriate; support implementation of new equipment, technology, systems, and processes.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret operational and financial data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas of concern; establish project metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Develop reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate project performance and results; quantify financial and operational impact of improvement initiatives.
• Validate project results and ensure improvements are supported by measurable data; monitor implemented improvements to confirm sustained gains.
• Build strong working relationships with employees and leaders at all levels; engage frontline employees in identifying problems and developing solutions.
• Facilitate meetings, workshops, process-mapping sessions, and improvement events; communicate the purpose, benefits, and expected impact of process changes.
• Assist leaders with change management and adoption of new processes; promote a culture of continuous improvement and address resistance to change constructively.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Food Safety, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, IT, and other departments on company initiatives.
• Serve as a project resource and subject-matter partner for process improvement initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations; facilitate collaboration between plants to identify and share best practices.
• Identify opportunities to standardize successful processes across multiple facilities; participate in company-wide initiatives impacting manufacturing operations.
• Travel between manufacturing facilities as required; participate in plant meetings, operational reviews, project meetings, and leadership discussions.
• Maintain current knowledge of process improvement methodologies, project management practices, manufacturing technology, and industry best practices.
• Support special projects and other operational initiatives as assigned; perform all duties in accordance with company policies, safety requirements, food safety standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Project Management, or a related field required. Equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing/project management experience may be considered.
• 3-5 years of experience in project management, process improvement, operations, manufacturing, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects from planning through implementation and results measurement.
• Manufacturing or food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with plant operations and frontline employees preferred.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, or other structured problem-solving methodologies preferred.

Skills

• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; ability to analyze data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and operational performance.
• Ability to lead projects without direct authority over project team members.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships with employees and leaders at all levels; ability to influence and drive change in a collaborative environment.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint; experience with project management, reporting, process mapping, or data visualization tools preferred.
• Ability to travel between company locations as needed.

Physical Demands

• May be required to walk through manufacturing and warehouse environments, stand for extended periods, climb stairs, and occasionally work in areas requiring personal protective equipment.
• May occasionally lift and/or move materials or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Specific physical requirements may vary depending on project assignments and work location.

Work Environment

This position regularly works in both an office and manufacturing environment. The employee may be exposed to varying temperatures, noise, wet or humid conditions, moving equipment, and other conditions commonly associated with food manufacturing facilities. Appropriate personal protective equipment and safety procedures must be followed while working in manufacturing areas.

Success Metrics

• Successfully lead projects from concept through implementation.
• Deliver measurable improvements in cost, productivity, quality, safety, reliability, or efficiency.
• Establish sustainable processes rather than short-term fixes.
• Build strong partnerships with plant leadership and frontline employees.
• Identify and prioritize high-value improvement opportunities.
• Effectively communicate project status, risks, and results to leadership.
• Replicate successful improvements and best practices across manufacturing facilities.
• Develop credibility as a trusted project leader and continuous improvement resource.

Pay

$87K–$115K a year. The salary range represents the minimum and maximum for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including budget, prior experience, knowledge, skill, education, and internal equity. The posted range reflects just one component of the total rewards package, which may also include group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.