Business Unit Overview 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. 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 LinkedIn for the latest news. Brand Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets. Location Description The Lawrence, Kansas facility is 236,000 square feet and home to about 155 hard working team members who are proud to produce iconic pet food brands like Kibbles 'n Bits®. Lawrence is a college town and the home to both the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University with Kansas State University about 85 miles away. The city is known for a thriving music and art scene and is also the home of the University of Kansas athletic teams. Responsibilities Facility Business Partner for Continuous Improvement overseeing CI vision, strategic planning and implementation of strategy to support overall performance improvement objectives. Advise Plant Leadership on strategic direction. Coach and mentor staff on lean methodology, tools, root-cause analysis and waste reduction to achieve sustainable and continued improvements in the areas of safety, quality, delivery, cost and growth. Coordinate training and development of all team members in understanding and capitalizing on CI methods. Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Lead the continuous improvement process (e.g., behaviors, attitude, and culture), working with staff and operations to develop, implement, and sustain a continuous improvement program based upon lean principles that supports meeting plant goals and targets. Lead, identify, and define the scope of continuous improvement planning and activities. Primary owner in leading and/or coordinating continuous improvement activities. Identify opportunities and work closely with technical resources to help drive efficiencies and best practices. Teache and model root cause analysis, problem solving, actions to prevent recurrence, standard work, and follow-up. Viewed as an expert in these areas and speaks with authority and confidence when engaging others. Work with the Engineering team and manage a Continuous Improvement docket for the plant and track savings. Be a change agent that challenges existing processes that create waste and non-value-added work. Coach, guide, and/or lead cross-functional teams to achieve resolution of assigned projects. Lead focused efforts aimed at breakthrough and incremental improvements in process, department, and/or line-specific opportunities that meet and exceed plant operational performance metrics. Monitor data and metrics to identify areas of waste and prioritize the development and implementation of solutions. Teach and model tools and concepts of Lean Thinking and Six Sigma, facilitate kaizen events. Provide appropriate documentation and project update communication to Operations leadership. Collaborate with all departments and individuals affected by CI projects. Share best practices and build relationships with CI resources at all PCB facilities. Leadership Expectations: Deep understanding of Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement methodologies and ability to teach and model them. Must have strong analytical and business judgment including demonstrated problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills. Ability to influence, mentor, and coach to get results through others. Results-driven for being the low-cost producer and supporting company growth strategies. Have a strong bias for action, while proving the ability to inspire others. Convey a high level of optimism while setting aggressive targets to teams, finding ways to achieve them. Communicate a compelling vision and an inspired sense of purpose. Talk about the possibilities and be optimistic. Create a strong morale and spirit within the team. Solve highly complex problems and prioritize actions on time. Probe all sources for answers and quickly sense what will help resolve issues. Establish clear directions, set stretching objectives. Lays out work in a well-planned and organized manner and brings out the best in people through leveraging their strengths. Speaks candidly and provides constructive feedback professionally. Organizes and manages projects; interacts, supports, facilitates, and leads multi-functional work teams; leads teams to consensus; strong negotiation skills. Able to build strong and diverse relationships across the business groups they partner with. Support and foster change. Demonstrate a passion for safety. Able to develop and maintain a respectful and safe work environment. Must be mobile and able to take on broader assignments for additional development opportunities. Qualifications EDUCATION: 4-year degree in science, engineering, management or related field recommended. EXPERIENCE: 5-10 years combined related work experience in manufacturing environment including a minimum of 3-5 years of successful leadership in executing continuous improvement/Lean Six Sigma efforts and enabling efficiency, effectiveness and tangible financial benefit