Operational Excellence Specialist

Who We Are
At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

The Operational Excellence Specialist is a member of the Freshpet for Excellence (FPE) program and is responsible for the development and implementation of automation and process solutions to drive efficiency and enhance performance. This role is designed to be a connection between processes and people with the intent of increasing employee engagement.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Identify, plan, and execute initiatives to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality.
• Engage and mentor the manufacturing floor team members with Freshpet for Excellence (FPE) tools and methodology
• Facilitate the implementation of Lean tools such as 5S, process mapping, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis
• Analyze current processes to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
• Develop and implement new processes or refine existing ones to improve workflow and performance
• Collect and analyze data to measure the success of improvement initiatives
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide regular reports to stakeholders
• Use data to drive decision-making and demonstrate ROI on improvement projects
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by educating and engaging employees at all levels with emphasis on hourly associates
• Acquire skills necessary to be a FPE pillar leader
• Serve as an action-oriented advocate of FPE
• Practice pragmatism with the goal of simplifying the FPE process so that more manufacturing team members become engaged
• Determine loss elimination in line with the site’s masterplan
• Use subject master expertise to create and maintain operating standards and repeatability
• All other duties as assigned

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or business (Preferred) or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in Continuous Improvement or Plant Operations with some experience in Lean Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence (OPEX) roles.
• Subject matter expertise with our theory of operation and associated equipment strongly preferred.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and duties of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

• Sitting: Often spends long periods of time on manufacturing floor
• Lifting: May need to lift and carry up to 15 pounds

Safe Performance Requirements

Employees must have the ability to perform the essential job functions identified above consistent with safety standards and practices with or without reasonable accommodation.

Work Environment

The work environmental characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate

What We Offer
The range for this position is: $85,000-$100,000/year

At Freshpet, we offer a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance, basic and optional life insurance, short- and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan with company match, paid parental leave, pet insurance, tuition assistance, a generous PTO plan and so much more!

Disclaimers
The salary range provided above is the range of the wages that we will pay for the listed position. A final determination on the wages within this range is based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to the required work location, previous work experience, skill set, and wage rates for comparable positions.

Freshpet does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.