Continuous Improvement Specialist

The Irca Group is an International Leader in high quality finished and semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry, and ice cream markets. With a solid history of over 100 years in the industry, the Group has its headquarters in Italy (Gallarate) and a strong global footprint with 23 production sites and over 2000 employees in Europe, the United States and Vietnam.

Our core product categories include chocolate, compounds, chocolate decorations, sprinkles, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, nuts and candied fruit. The most recent acquisition of Kerry Sweet complements our existing categories with the addition of sweet particulates, chocolate confections, inclusions, variegates and frozen fruit purees.

Through its 8 key brands (IRCA, Dobla®, in2food, Via Degli Orsini, JoyGelato, RaviFruit, Cesarin and Anastasi®) the IRCA Group offers an unparalleled "one-stop shop" approach for delivering quality solutions to all ingredients needs, through a broad range of innovative products. We offer every day and seasonal solutions to 3 macro channels: Gourmet, Food Manufacturing and Consumer Product (Retail). “Extraordinary made simple”

About the Role

The Continuous Improvement Specialist is an integral part of the Site Senior team to improve factory performance through the facilitation of the CI toolkit and Standardization applied to prioritized problems while developing other team members involved in the process.

• Building the Business: Collaborate with site teams to improve performance against identified site and global KPI’s
• Continuous Improvement: Utilization of the foundational toolkit to include A3 Practical Problem Solving/ Root Cause Analysis tool as a means to address the root cause of priority problems across the Site
• Develop Standard Work application and confirmation to ensure that improvements are standardized and sustained as an example
• Facilitation: Act as a facilitator for the education of all team members in the principles and tools of CI, to provide them the opportunity to continually improve the standards set forth in the Learning & Development LMS modules/materials developed centrally
• Standardization: Drive the standardization of all structures, work, training, procedures & records in line with the IRCA CI Program
• Data Capture: Obtain key data relating to identified opportunities and relating this to the Site Excel Savings Plan. Know the source of all data generation on site and be able to tap into any data stream quickly. Ensure all data is accurate
• Team Interaction: Work with all relevant teams directly on identifying opportunities within the business. Remove barriers to progress with the site senior management team
• Project Management: Ensure all key projects are in place to deliver in optimal time and raise awareness if resources are limited
• Process Knowledge: Develop in-depth knowledge of all processes onsite both floor and office based
• Other duties as assigned. 
  

• BS/MS in Engineering, Business, Food Science
• Analytical Skills
• Continuous improvement knowledge and education
• Knowledge and proficiency of problem solving toolkit.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing methodology.
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Team leadership and development.
• Skills in motivating, coaching, and influencing others.
• Problem solving.
• Striving for win-win solutions. 
  

• Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing certifications
• HACCP/food safety experience.
• Experience in food, chemical, or pharmaceutical industry.
• High energy, extroverted, and takes a "hands-on" approach
  

Why Join Us:

Irca Group offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits: Medical, Dental, & Vision, 401(k) matching, Paid Vacation, and Holidays, Employee Education Tuition Reimbursement Program.