Continuous Improvement Site LEad

Job Posting

Snackruptors Inc. is a renowned leader in the cracker manufacturing industry, recognized globally for delivering exceptional quality products. Our diverse workforce reflects our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued. Driven by a shared passion for excellence and innovation, we continuously enhance our cutting-edge production processes and foster a collaborative, results-driven culture.

Apply now to the Continuous Improvement Site Lead on our growing Finance team and be a part of our exciting journey!

Job purpose

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Site Lead drives the implementation of Continuous Improvement initiatives across the manufacturing site by identifying performance gaps, eliminating waste, and delivering sustainable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, cost, service, and employee engagement. The role partners with cross-functional teams to apply Lean principles, structured problem-solving, data analysis, and coaching to improve processes and build a culture of continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities

The associate’s primary functions and responsibilities are as follows:

Continuous Improvement Strategy & Deployment

• Support the CI Manager in deploying the organization’s Continuous Improvement strategy and priorities at the site.
• Translate site business objectives into measurable CI initiatives and improvement plans.
• Establish and maintain a prioritized CI project pipeline based on business impact and operational needs.
• Ensure CI activity is aligned with site goals for:
  • Safety
  • Quality
  • Delivery / Service
  • Cost
  • Productivity
  • Capacity
  • Employee engagement
• Identify opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce variation, improve flow, and increase process capability.
• Ensure improvement projects have clearly defined objectives, owners, timelines, financial or operational benefits, and sustainability plans.
• Escalate significant barriers, resource requirements, and risks to the CI Manager and site leadership.

Daily Performance Management

• Support the site’s daily performance management system and ensure operational issues are visible, understood, and acted upon.
• Participate in daily production and performance meetings, including tiered accountability meetings and daily huddles.
• Review production performance and identify trends, abnormal conditions, and recurring losses.
• Use data to distinguish between isolated events and systemic performance issues.
• Facilitate structured escalation of performance issues to the appropriate functional owner.
• Ensure actions generated through daily management are clearly assigned, prioritized, and followed through to completion.
• Support the development and maintenance of visual management systems and performance boards.
• Help establish a culture in which abnormal conditions are identified and addressed quickly rather than normalized.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Loss Identification & Elimination

• The CI Site Lead will identify and prioritize operational losses, including but not limited to:
• Unplanned downtime
• Planned downtime.
• Changeover losses
• Startup losses
• Speed losses.
• Minor stops
• Scrap and rework.
• Material losses
• Capacity constraints
• Process variation.
• Equipment reliability losses
• Scheduling losses
• Excessive motion and transportation
• Waiting and flow interruptions

PROBLEM SOLVING

• The CI Site Lead is responsible for developing and promoting a structured problem-solving culture.
• Facilitate root-cause analysis for significant operational problems.
• Apply appropriate CI methodologies, including:
  • PDCA
  • A3
  • 5 Why
  • Fishbone / Cause-and-Effect Analysis
  • Pareto Analysis
  • Process Mapping
  • Standard Work
  • SMED
  • Visual Management
  • 5S
  • Basic statistical analysis
  • Other Lean manufacturing and CI methodologies as appropriate
• Ensure teams distinguish between symptoms, contributing factors, and true root causes.
• Verify that corrective actions address the identified root cause.
• Ensure countermeasures are tested and validated before being considered complete.
• Establish controls to prevent recurrence.
• Coach frontline leaders and employees in structured problem solving.

DATA & ANALYTICS

• Use operational data to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Maintain a strong understanding of site KPIs and the relationship between leading and lagging indicators.
• Utilize systems such as Redzone, QAD, production reporting systems, spreadsheets, dashboards, and other analytical tools to support decision-making.
• Validate the accuracy and reliability of performance data.
• Develop meaningful performance reports and visualizations where required.
• Analyze trends, Pareto losses, production performance, changeover performance, labour utilization, downtime, quality losses, and other operational metrics.
• Convert data into actionable improvement opportunities.
• Avoid relying solely on anecdotal information when making improvement decisions.

STANDARD WORK & PROCESS CONTROL

• Develop, improve, and maintain standard work in partnership with process owners.
• Ensure improvements are incorporated into operating procedures and training.
• Identify gaps between documented processes and actual work practices.
• Conduct observations and audits to verify adherence to standards.
• Work with Operations and Training to ensure affected employees understand process changes.
• Establish visual standards where appropriate.
• Ensure improvements are designed for sustainability rather than short-term performance gains.

COACHING & CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

• Coach supervisors, managers, team leaders, and frontline employees in CI principles.
• Facilitate improvement workshops.
• Train employees in structured problem solving.
• Develop frontline ownership of improvement activities.
• Encourage employee-generated improvement ideas.
• Teach leaders how to use performance data to manage their areas.
• Build problem-solving capability rather than becoming the permanent owner of operational problems.
• Promote a culture where employees are encouraged to identify waste and improve their processes.
• Support CI training programs and site capability assessments.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• Support the implementation of operational and organizational changes.
• Identify potential barriers to adoption.
• Engage affected employees and leaders early in the improvement process.
• Communicate the purpose, expected benefit, and impact of changes.
• Monitor adoption following implementation.
• Address resistance through data, engagement, coaching, and problem solving.
• Ensure changes become part of normal operating practices.
• Responsible for daily management and support for the team to achieve operational success.
• Monitor time and attendance and ensure compliance with Company Procedures.
• Approve the vacation requests.
• Carry out incident, accident and non-conformity investigations and associated reporting and action closure.
• Issue disciplinary action when needed.
• Perform other assigned duties.
• Follow Health and Safety rules and regulations.
• Must follow Good Manufacturing Practices, Food Safety, and Food Defense guidelines.
• Comply with all Company policies and procedures.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Engineering, Business, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or a related discipline; equivalent manufacturing experience may be considered.
• 3+ years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Operations, Engineering, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading improvement projects from problem identification through implementation and sustainment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with production data and operational KPIs.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all organizational levels.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and operational performance.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, with the ability to create and manage documents, spreadsheets, email communications, and presentations effectively.
• Strong oral and written communication.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Candidate with Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, with experience using Lean/Continuous Improvement tools such as Kaizen, 5S, A3, SMED, or Standard work will be preferred
• Candidates who have experience with manufacturing analytics and reporting tools such as Power BI, Excel, Redzone, or similar systems will be preferred
• Candidate with experience in food manufacturing or a high-volume production environment and experience supporting improvement initiatives across multiple shifts or production areas.

Working conditions

• Always work indoors.
• Compliant with ventilation, cleanliness, space, lighting, and temperature.

Physical requirements

• Sitting involved.
• May repeat the same movement.
• Typing involved.

What’s in it for you?

At Snackruptors Inc, we truly care about our employees and are committed to their well-being and growth. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Prescription/Drug Coverage
• Extended Health Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• AD&D Insurance

Additional perks to support your work-life balance and personal development:

• Work Life Balance
• PTO to Commemorate Your Work Anniversary
• Employee Engagement Events
• Recognition Programs & Employee Awards
• Bi-Weekly Pay Structure
• Annual Safety Shoe Allowance
• Free ESL Classes
• Wellness Room

And Much More!

Note: Compensation- $65k-75K

In compliance with Ontario’s Bill 190, we confirm that this posting represents a current, existing vacancy within our organization.

Snackruptors Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, transparent, and inclusive recruitment practices. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005, we are committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment, selection, and assessment processes for applicants with disabilities. If you require disability-related accommodation, please notify our Human Resources (HR) team.

All personal information collected during the recruitment process is handled in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

Snackruptors Inc. does not charge candidates any fees at any stage of the hiring process. If you suspect that this job posting or any recruitment communication claiming to represent our organization is fraudulent or misleading, please report it to our Human Resources (HR) team or through our official company channels so appropriate action can be taken.#LIONSITE