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Manufacturing Excellence Specialist
POSITION SUMMARY
The Manufacturing Excellence (ME) Specialist is a key partner in advancing factory performance and building a culture of continuous improvement. This role works closely with the Local Leadership Team (LLT) and shop floor teams to strengthen Total Performance Management (TPM) routines, improve data reliability, eliminate operational losses, and accelerate high-impact improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical thinking with hands-on coaching and influencing skills to turn opportunities into sustainable results.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Partner with the Local Leadership Team to define, align, and execute the factory performance improvement strategy.
- Translate the Factory Operational Master Plan, loss analysis, and external benchmarks into a practical roadmap that improves performance and builds long-term capability.
- Drive alignment among LLT members and key stakeholders, supporting effective rollout of improvement priorities across Production.
- Shape and coordinate the factory improvement plan, including long-term TPM deployment, digital solutions, capital projects, material usage variance and cost-saving opportunities, key improvement projects, capability-building activities, and external support needs.
- Establish effective governance and review routines that track progress, reinforce accountability, and sustain results.
- Maintain a strong shop floor presence to assess maturity, identify opportunities, coach teams, and align corrective actions.
- Build critical improvement capabilities within the LLT and shop floor teams through GEMBA visits, practical coaching, and targeted development.
- Partner with HR and Training to develop and evaluate robust functional and pillar capability plans.
- Train and coach system owners on Cleaning and Inspection, Centerline, Changeover, and other core operating systems; coordinate external support when needed.
- Evaluate the maturity and health of key systems, provide actionable feedback to functional and pillar leaders, and guide improvement priorities.
- Serve as an active member of the Focused Improvement (FI) Pillar, strengthening problem-solving, project and stakeholder management, loss intelligence, and related routines.
- Lead FI Pillar and Industrial Performance activities within the LLT, including labor utilization studies, data reliability, SAP BOM and master data, planning rate reviews, Asset Intensity systems (DMO), Tagging/Prometheus, ST 21-908, and capacity utilization.
EDUCATION
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or a related field preferred. An equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant experience will be considered.
EXPERIENCE
- 1-3 years of manufacturing experience.
- 1-3 years partnering with factory management and leadership teams, with demonstrated success supporting and developing cross-functional teams.
- 1-3 years of active involvement in Goal Alignment, TPM, Lean, or continuous improvement implementation.
- Working knowledge of cultural change management, process improvement, and the connection between operational performance and business results.
- Experience with line labor standards, budget preparation or review, and line capability or speed studies.
- Experience leading improvement projects, analyzing losses, and applying structured problem-solving tools.
SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES
- Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build trusted partnerships across shop floor teams, the LLT, and factory leadership.
- Effective coaching and influencing skills, with the ability to build capability and support lasting behavioral change.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret manufacturing losses, performance trends, and operational data to identify opportunities.
- Ability to manage multiple improvement initiatives, set priorities, and drive execution through cross-functional teams.
- Working knowledge of Goal Alignment, TPM, Lean, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and an interest in learning or expanding capability in SAP, DMO, Prometheus, POKA, and Power BI.
Salary: $74,969.10 to $100,552.00 per year
Bonus Eligibility: Yes
The pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at top of range.
Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at https://www.nestlejobs.com/nestle-in-the-us-benefits
