Process Excellence Engineer - Continuous Improvement

• Identify and eliminate waste, variation, bottlenecks, and non-value-added activity
• Facilitate Kaizen events, focused improvement sessions, and cross-functional problem-solving
• Apply tools including 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Spaghetti Diagrams, PDCA, A3, Fishbone/Ishikawa, Pareto Analysis, and basic statistics
• Improve layouts, material flow, work methods, and information flow
• Measure and document the financial and operational impact of improvements

• Observe and document current processes; identify gaps between documented and actual practice
• Write standard operating procedures, work instructions, and process maps
• Establish standard cycle times and productivity expectations where appropriate
• Develop audit mechanisms to ensure standards are followed and sustained
• Build training materials from standardized work

Solve Problems at the Root

• Distinguish root causes from symptoms using structured methodologies
• Facilitate cross-functional teams through problem-solving using PDCA and A3 thinking
• Develop corrective and preventive actions; follow up to confirm they hold
• Coach supervisors and frontline employees in practical problem-solving

• Conduct time and motion studies; establish performance baselines and expectations
• Identify productivity losses by process, team, and shift
• Support labor planning and workforce balancing based on operational demand
• Analyze capacity constraints and bottlenecks
• Evaluate labor cost per unit without compromising safety, quality, or cold-chain integrity

• Build and maintain operational dashboards and performance indicators
• Analyze productivity, cycle time, labor efficiency, quality, and service metrics
• Use Excel and other tools to turn data into clear, actionable insights
• Prioritize improvement opportunities through Pareto and trend analysis

• Facilitate Lean fundamentals workshops and Kaizen events
• Coach supervisors in daily management and performance routines
• Develop practical, easy-to-use training materials
• Progressively transfer improvement ownership to frontline teams and supervisors

• Analyze prior high-volume season operations to identify capacity and labor risks
• Develop standard work and visual management to support peak periods
• Conduct post-peak reviews and convert lessons into repeatable practices

In your first 12–18 months, we expect you to:

• Support implementation of the Business Operational System and its core pillars
• Standardize critical operational processes with clear, documented standard work
• Stand up a structured problem-solving culture with trained supervisors
• Deliver measurable improvements in productivity, cycle time, rework, and labor efficiency
• Develop frontline leaders capable of independently managing daily performance
• Sustain improvements - not just launch them

Metrics will include: units per labor hour, cost per unit, cycle time, on-time shipment performance, rework and error rates, process adherence, capacity utilization, and improvement project impact.

You are hands-on, analytical, and people-oriented.

You're as comfortable on the warehouse floor as you are in a spreadsheet.

You don't need formal authority to influence people - you earn credibility by knowing your stuff and showing up consistently.

Your operating mode: Observe → Analyze → Standardize → Improve → Teach → Sustain

• Gemba mindset - you go to where the work happens
• Structured problem-solver - you separate facts from symptoms
• Coach and facilitator - you build others up, not just fix things yourself
• Communicator - you translate technical concepts into plain language, in both English and Spanish
• Self-starter - you own projects from analysis through sustainment

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics, or related field
• 2–5 years of hands-on experience in process improvement, Lean, industrial engineering, logistics, warehousing, or related operations
• Demonstrated experience with process analysis, time studies, standard work development, and structured problem solving
• Strong analytical skills; advanced Microsoft Excel
• Bilingual - English and Spanish, written and spoken
• Ability to work in cold-chain environments (~35°F) and under time-sensitive operational pressure

• Lean Six Sigma certification
• Experience in logistics, warehousing, food, perishables, agriculture, or flowers
• Familiarity with TPM or other structured Operational Excellence frameworks
• Power BI or data visualization experience
• Experience with WMS or logistics management systems
• Practical use of AI or digital tools to support analysis

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

• Bachelor's (Required)

• Continuous improvement, lean manufacturing: 2 years (Required)

• English (Required)
• Spanish (Required)

Ability to Commute: