Home Chef
Continuous Improvement Manager
Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are. In 2023, Home Chef introduced a new brand Tempo! Tempo features a rotating selection of ready-to-heat meals delivered directly to your door. These meals are better-for-you versions of familiar favorites, designed to save you time and reduce stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our Tempo menu includes options that are protein-packed, fiber-rich, calorie and carb conscious, keto-friendly, and dietitian-approved. Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We're eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef's offerings. We are looking for an exceptional people leader who can coach our plant employees to create a vision for lean operations and drive lasting, impactful change at our production facilities. We are seeking a no-nonsense, hands-on leader to enable systematic improvements in all areas of fulfillment, from light assembly and inventory management, to implementing enterprise-wide technology (e.g., WMS). The ideal candidate will be able to lead insightful, rapid problem-solving to unlock value; they will be equally comfortable to see through tactical change on the shop floor and in the warehouse. This role is a unique opportunity to put their mark on driving best-in-class lean operational practices and build a high-skill, impact-led team at a fast-paced start-up. Distinctive performers will have ample opportunities to grow and progress quickly in our rapidly expanding operations organization. The Continuous Improvement Manager reports directly to the fulfillment center's Plant Director. We invest heavily in our people at Home Chef, and we are looking for leaders who are effective and efficient managers, but also role models and mentors. Lead Site CI Initiatives
Develop a plan for continuous improvement across all plant functions; prioritize initiatives through impact and feasibility in partnership with department leaders, corporate resources, peers at the other fulfillment centers, and the Plant Director. Identify needs and opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the end-to-end fulfillment process through on-site observation and cross-functional brainstorming sessions Support initiatives tied to clear financial and operational targets Drive impactful, lasting change through continuous improvement initiatives by working alongside managers, team leads and hourly associates Reinforcing best-practices and SOPs through day-to-day coaching and training in core business processes (e.g., production planning, ingredient portioning, labor scheduling) Advocate for initiatives and present business results in plant management meetings. Site Operational Excellence Program Liaison and Management Systems Pillar Lead
Create schedule for operational excellence audits in partnership with site and National CI team Work with site and National CI team to prioritize and implement Management Systems best practices in accordance with the Home Chef Operational Excellence program Participate in HC Network CI Planning and Execution
Collaborate closely to implement initiatives with operations technology, procurement, food safety & quality, operations analytics, HR and, most importantly, plant fulfillment Act as a partner to share best practices across facilities, with the aim of building a unified "One Home Chef" approach to fulfillment Report out metrics and improvement initiatives to National CI team Participate in network Kaizen events and act as site lead Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. You are an amazing leader who creates energy, lives integrity, leads change, creates a vision, and inspires people to achieve goals, in a fast-paced, high-urgency Customer-First environment. Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field: Engineering You are impact-driven first and foremost; you live and breathe performance management through KPIs, and your passion is to make change stick in partnership with the plant managers, department leaders, and employees. You have a proven track record of achievement in change management and lean operations, through day-to-day coaching, instilling new practices and tools, and building enthusiasm to reach stretch targets (1-2 years' experience in lean/six sigma preferred). You have a strong interest in the meal kit industry and a passion for delivering the best possible products to our consumers. You ideally have experience driving complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders across functions in a fast-paced environment. You are extremely comfortable in a plant environment, in refrigerated conditions below 40 degrees. Home Chef offers the base salary range as posted below, with the exact offer depending on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and internal equity. While compensation is within the provided range, it is not typical for offers to be made at the upper end. In addition to base salary, Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off. Illinois Pay Range $90,000 - $110,000 USD
Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are. In 2023, Home Chef introduced a new brand Tempo! Tempo features a rotating selection of ready-to-heat meals delivered directly to your door. These meals are better-for-you versions of familiar favorites, designed to save you time and reduce stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our Tempo menu includes options that are protein-packed, fiber-rich, calorie and carb conscious, keto-friendly, and dietitian-approved. Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We're eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef's offerings. We are looking for an exceptional people leader who can coach our plant employees to create a vision for lean operations and drive lasting, impactful change at our production facilities. We are seeking a no-nonsense, hands-on leader to enable systematic improvements in all areas of fulfillment, from light assembly and inventory management, to implementing enterprise-wide technology (e.g., WMS). The ideal candidate will be able to lead insightful, rapid problem-solving to unlock value; they will be equally comfortable to see through tactical change on the shop floor and in the warehouse. This role is a unique opportunity to put their mark on driving best-in-class lean operational practices and build a high-skill, impact-led team at a fast-paced start-up. Distinctive performers will have ample opportunities to grow and progress quickly in our rapidly expanding operations organization. The Continuous Improvement Manager reports directly to the fulfillment center's Plant Director. We invest heavily in our people at Home Chef, and we are looking for leaders who are effective and efficient managers, but also role models and mentors. Lead Site CI Initiatives
Develop a plan for continuous improvement across all plant functions; prioritize initiatives through impact and feasibility in partnership with department leaders, corporate resources, peers at the other fulfillment centers, and the Plant Director. Identify needs and opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the end-to-end fulfillment process through on-site observation and cross-functional brainstorming sessions Support initiatives tied to clear financial and operational targets Drive impactful, lasting change through continuous improvement initiatives by working alongside managers, team leads and hourly associates Reinforcing best-practices and SOPs through day-to-day coaching and training in core business processes (e.g., production planning, ingredient portioning, labor scheduling) Advocate for initiatives and present business results in plant management meetings. Site Operational Excellence Program Liaison and Management Systems Pillar Lead
Create schedule for operational excellence audits in partnership with site and National CI team Work with site and National CI team to prioritize and implement Management Systems best practices in accordance with the Home Chef Operational Excellence program Participate in HC Network CI Planning and Execution
Collaborate closely to implement initiatives with operations technology, procurement, food safety & quality, operations analytics, HR and, most importantly, plant fulfillment Act as a partner to share best practices across facilities, with the aim of building a unified "One Home Chef" approach to fulfillment Report out metrics and improvement initiatives to National CI team Participate in network Kaizen events and act as site lead Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities. You are an amazing leader who creates energy, lives integrity, leads change, creates a vision, and inspires people to achieve goals, in a fast-paced, high-urgency Customer-First environment. Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field: Engineering You are impact-driven first and foremost; you live and breathe performance management through KPIs, and your passion is to make change stick in partnership with the plant managers, department leaders, and employees. You have a proven track record of achievement in change management and lean operations, through day-to-day coaching, instilling new practices and tools, and building enthusiasm to reach stretch targets (1-2 years' experience in lean/six sigma preferred). You have a strong interest in the meal kit industry and a passion for delivering the best possible products to our consumers. You ideally have experience driving complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders across functions in a fast-paced environment. You are extremely comfortable in a plant environment, in refrigerated conditions below 40 degrees. Home Chef offers the base salary range as posted below, with the exact offer depending on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and internal equity. While compensation is within the provided range, it is not typical for offers to be made at the upper end. In addition to base salary, Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off. Illinois Pay Range $90,000 - $110,000 USD