Continuous Improvement Manager
STPCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MANAGER Reports To: Director of Continuous Improvement Location: Houston, TX Travel: Up to 25%, as business needs require Position Summary Our client is seeking a highly motivated Continuous Improvement Manager to lead operational excellence initiatives across warehousing, transportation, inventory management, customer service, food distribution, and business support functions. This role requires a true self-starter who identifies what needs to be done, takes initiative, and advances priorities without waiting to be told what to do next. The manager will convert operational needs and data into practical improvements that strengthen safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, and compliance. The successful candidate must be committed to the development, implementation, and long-term sustainment of standardized processes. This individual will partner with cross-functional leaders to build solutions that are measurable, documented, trainable, scalable, and sustainable. Food supply chain experience is preferred. SUCCESS PROFILE: Proactive ownership | Food supply chain knowledge | Sustainable process design | Data-driven execution | Change leadership Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Continuous Improvement Leadership Proactively identify improvement opportunities and independently move from observation to analysis, recommendation, and execution. Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, and customer experience. Facilitate Lean, Kaizen, A3, value stream mapping, and structured problem-solving activities. Coach leaders and frontline teams on continuous improvement principles, standard work, and daily accountability. Sustainable Process Development and Implementation Design and implement standardized processes that are practical, documented, trainable, measurable, and sustainable over time. Build process controls, ownership, KPIs, audit routines, training materials, and escalation paths to prevent regression after implementation. Validate that improvement solutions are adopted by the business and conduct post-implementation reviews to confirm effectiveness and sustainment. Develop SOPs, workflows, visual controls, checklists, and governance mechanisms that support consistent execution across locations and functions. Operational Excellence Analyze warehouse, transportation, inventory, customer service, procurement, and food distribution processes to identify waste, constraints, and risk. Lead workflow redesign, labor productivity, network optimization, facility readiness, automation, and process standardization initiatives. Conduct observations and time studies, translate findings into actionable improvements, and support implementation with operational teams. Balance service, compliance, food safety, cost, and efficiency when evaluating process changes. Data Analytics and Performance Management Develop and monitor KPIs, scorecards, dashboards, and management routines that create visibility and accountability. Use data to identify trends, quantify root causes, prioritize opportunities, and measure realized benefits. Prepare business cases and operational or financial analyses that define expected impact, required resources, and return on investment. Present concise findings, risks, recommendations, and results to operational and executive leadership. Project and Change Management Execute against a Continuous Improvement Roadmap (CIR) Lead cross-functional projects from charter and current-state assessment through implementation, stabilization, and closeout. Develop project plans, milestones, risk registers, stakeholder maps, communication plans, and benefit-tracking methods. Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining clear ownership, timely follow-through, and high-quality deliverables. Engage affected employees early, address resistance, and ensure changes are understood, adopted, and incorporated into standard work. Root Cause Analy…