Senior Continuous Improvement Manager

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Transformation
• Lead the strategic deployment of the Operational Excellence framework across the site, ensuring alignment with fairlife's enterprise CI roadmap and long‑term business objectives.
• Partner with senior site and corporate leadership to shape CI strategy, prioritize initiatives, and embed Op‑Ex principles into daily operations and long‑range planning.
• Serve as the senior advisor on Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies, guiding leaders in decision‑making and capability development.
• Team Leadership & Talent Development
• Provide senior‑level leadership to the Op‑Ex team, including oversight of CI Practitioners ensuring high performance, engagement, and professional growth.
• Build organizational CI capability by developing structured training programs, coaching leaders at all levels, and establishing clear expectations for CI behaviors and performance.
• Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and continuous learning across the site.
• Lead critical and business impactful problem solving initiatives.
• Operational Excellence Deployment
• Oversee the design, execution, and governance of CI initiatives, ensuring rigorous project selection, scoping, and prioritization to maximize impact and ROI.
• Lead and facilitate advanced problem‑solving workshops, Kaizen events, and cross‑functional improvement efforts that deliver measurable, sustainable results.
• Champion cultural transformation efforts that embed continuous improvement into the site's operating rhythm, including daily management systems, tiered accountability, and standard work.
• Performance Management & Analytics
• Establish, monitor, and analyze key performance indicators to identify systemic gaps and drive strategic corrective actions.
• Own the Op‑Ex Scorecard and develop multi‑year CI/Kaizen roadmaps aligned with corporate and site‑level objectives.
• Partner with Finance to validate financial impacts, track savings, and ensure transparency of CI‑related value creation.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
• Present insights, progress updates, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Advocate for the Operational Excellence brand across Fairlife, promoting alignment, engagement, and enthusiasm for CI initiatives.
• Provide ongoing cross‑functional coaching to strengthen CI deployment and ensure consistent application of Op‑Ex tools and methodologies.
• skills/qualifications required:
• Technical Expertise
• Advanced proficiency in daily visual management systems, tiered accountability, problem solving, standard work, and SMED.
• Strong analytical and process‑driven mindset with the ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into action.
• Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem‑solving methodologies; certifications strongly preferred.
• Leadership & Influence
• Demonstrated ability to lead high‑performing teams and influence leaders at all organizational levels.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to drive cultural change, resolve conflict, and make sound decisions in dynamic environments.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Team Management Qualifications
• Experience building, developing, and leading high‑performing CI teams.
• Ability to set clear expectat

Benefits

Additional Information

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers. With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife's portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk ; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™ , a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation. To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com . job purpose The Senior Continuous Improvement Manager serves as a strategic leader and architect of Fairlife's Operational Excellence (Op‑Ex) framework, driving enterprise‑level transformation and sustainable performance improvement at the Webster, NY site. This senior role is accountable for shaping long‑term Continuous Improvement (CI) strategy, elevating operational capabilities, and embedding a culture of excellence that advances safety, quality, productivity, and financial outcomes. Acting as a senior change agent, this leader influences cross‑functional direction, mentors CI practitioners, and ensures alignment between site‑level initiatives and Fairlife's broader organizational goals. The ideal candidate brings deep technical mastery, proven leadership in large‑scale transformation, and the ability to inspire cultural change through vision, influence, and disciplined execution.

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