Continuous Improvement Specialist

Continuous Improvement Specialist

This high-impact role drives operational excellence (continuous improvement) across the Pine Island and Spencer manufacturing facilities, with a focus on Seasoning and Ingredient product lines.

This role provides strategic leadership for Plant Trial Requests (PTR), ensuring readiness, integration, and execution across business functions.

The position ensures seamless alignment and execution across cross-functional stakeholders, accelerating innovation and commercialization readiness.

The role leads Cost to Serve (CTS) initiatives at Pine Island, strategically managing performance levers to meet or exceed annual site-level financial targets.

As a key driver of continuous improvement, the incumbent spearheads initiatives spanning process optimization, cost efficiency, quality enhancement, and trial execution.

Based at Pine Island, this role includes 15-25% travel to support strategic operations and collaboration at the Spencer facility.

- Serve as the primary liaison for Plant Trial Requests (PTR), ensuring readiness and alignment across teams.

- Coordinate customer-driven quality programs, including sampling and flavoring processes, by managing timelines and stakeholder engagement.

- Acts as backup coverage for positive release process

- Responsible for reacting to shortage reporting across both plants and providing real time status updates to Customer Logistics.

- Ensure timely and accurate updates to Centric, E1, and related systems, delegating tasks and following up with responsible parties.

- Facilitate cross-system alignment (Lab vantage, Centric, E1) and coordinate resolution of discrepancies with relevant teams.

- Oversee label accuracy in Centric prior to PTR execution, ensuring readiness through team collaboration.

- Lead and monitor Cost to Serve (CTS) initiatives at Pine Island, ensuring progress through regular tracking meetings and stakeholder accountability.

- Coordinate process improvement projects across both plants, working closely with Process R&D and plant teams.

- Champion plant safety and quality practices, ensuring teams are aligned with standards.

- Provide support to plant leadership by managing special projects and coordinating cross-functional efforts as needed.

Experience-Education (Required):


* Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field


* Minimum of 1+ years of proven Continuous Improvement experience in a Manufacturing environment


* Project management, Data analysis and continuous improvement methodologies


* Food manufacturing highly preferred

Salary Range: $79,200 - $118,800.

In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

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