Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, PEBBLES, Grape-Nuts and Malt-O-Meal cereal and Peter Pan peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish, Kibbles 'n Bits and 9Lives dog and cat food. Post also provides private label solutions to customers in pet food, cereal, nut butters and granola. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedInor Facebook for the latest news.

At Post Consumer Brands, we’ve spent generations showing up for families, starting with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Our cereals have become a trusted part of daily routines, helping spark conversations, fuel busy mornings, and create everyday moments that bring families closer together, including their furry four-legged family members, who have recently become a part of our story. As families have evolved, so have we. What began at the breakfast table has expanded into snacks, peanut butter, and pet food, because caring for a family means feeding every part of it. With the addition of several iconic pet brands, we’ve extended our purpose: to make high-quality, accessible food for everyone under the same roof.

This phase is still new, and that’s what makes it exciting. As we continue to grow across grocery and pet, we’re looking for people who care about good food, thoughtful work, and the kind of impact that stretches from store shelves to kitchen tables, and food bowls, across the country.

The Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania facility proudly produces iconic pet food brands like 9Lives®, Gravy Train®, and Kibbles 'n Bits®. This location also features an on-site Distribution Center, ensuring efficient delivery of products to customers.

Bloomsburg is home to Bloomsburg University, a municipal airport, and a landmark Town Park offering acres of recreational activities. The town also hosts one of the largest and longest-running fairs in the country. With so much to do and see, Bloomsburg is a great place to live, work, and play!

Lead the transformation. Elevate performance. Build a culture of Operational Excellence.

We’re seeking a passionate CI/OpEx leader to drive continuous improvement across our plant and embed Operational Excellence as a daily mindset. In this role, you’ll guide cross-functional teams, accelerate performance, unlock cost savings, and shape a culture rooted in Lean principles, problem solving, and accountability.

If you’re a strategic thinker, skilled facilitator, data‑driven problem solver, and inspiring coach, this is your opportunity to make a site‑wide impact.

Role Summary

The CI Manager leads the deployment, execution, and sustainment of Operational Excellence initiatives throughout the plant. You will coach teams, oversee CI workstreams, drive daily issue resolution, and deliver measurable improvements across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People. As a change agent, you’ll partner with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, HR, Finance, and Logistics to eliminate losses, optimize processes, and enhance supply chain performance.

What You’ll Do

Operational Excellence Leadership

• Lead CI and OpEx initiatives that drive measurable gains in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people capability.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and deploy Lean/CI tools across the plant.
• Establish and sustain Daily Management systems, Leader Standard Work, and Tiered Accountability.

Diagnostics & Problem Solving

• Conduct structured loss analysis using data (MES, CMMS, SPC, dashboards) and Gemba insights.
• Teach and coach RCA, A3, 5‑Why, Fishbone, PDCA, DMAIC, and other CI methodologies.
• Identify and prioritize high‑impact improvement opportunities.

Planning & Execution

• Develop and coach clear implementation plans with defined scope, owners, milestones, and sustainability measures.
• Track and report savings; manage CI project pipelines and remove barriers to progress.
• Partner with Finance to validate cost savings and ensure long‑term sustainment.

Capability Building

• Serve as the site’s primary trainer for Lean, Problem Solving, and CI skills.
• Build capability across leaders and frontline teams using a structured training roadmap.
• Facilitate training in Standard Work, Visual Management, 5S, Kaizen, TPM basics, and more.

Cost & Zero Loss Management

• Lead Zero Loss processes to quantify losses and build improvement pipelines.
• Ensure cost savings are captured, verified, and fully embedded in plant processes.
• Implement controls to prevent backsliding and maintain improvement momentum.

Program & Change Leadership

• Oversee CI/OpEx program governance and ensure alignment with Safety, Quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Influence and coach leaders at all levels to adopt new ways of working.
• Share best practices and support cross‑site collaboration.

Performance Monitoring

• Track KPIs using digital dashboards; identify trends and drive action.
• Lead monthly performance reviews and maintain documentation and audit‑ready standard work.

Qualifications

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of manufacturing experience with 3–5 years leading TPM, Lean, or Six Sigma initiatives.
• 2+ years of leadership or people‑management experience.
• Proven record of delivering measurable CI results with financial impact.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and influence skills at all levels.
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau); familiarity with MES, CMMS, SPC.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher.
• Broad exposure to manufacturing functions (Ops, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering).
• Experience deploying OpEx systems and leading organizational capability programs.
• Background in TPM, Visual Factory, 5S, SMED, VSM, or other WCM/Lean pillars.

Work Environment

• On‑site role, Monday–Friday (1st shift).
• Frequent time on the plant floor  including walking, standing, and observing operations (PPE required).
• Occasional travel for training, benchmarking, or cross‑site collaboration.

**Relocation Assistance is provided**