Continuous Improvement Engineer II

About Imperfect
Imperfect Foods was founded in 2015 with a mission to reduce food waste and build a better food system for everyone. We offer imperfect (yet delicious) produce, affordable pantry items, and quality meat and dairy. Our customers can get the healthy, seasonal produce they want alongside the grocery staples they rely on, without having to compromise their budget or values. We’re proving that doing the right thing for the planet doesn’t have to cost more, and that shopping for quality ingredients can support the people and resources that it takes to grow our favorite foods.
We're headquartered in San Francisco with operations all over the country!
Please consider completing the optional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) survey below. Doing so will help keep us accountable for the DEI commitments we have made as a company. By choosing to disclose elements of your identity, you are informing us about our candidate pool and the ways we can continue to improve making Imperfect Foods an inclusive company for everyone. Responses will in no way affect your candidacy for the position you apply for.  Information collected will be kept secure and confidential and will be used solely to evaluate our DEI efforts. We thank you in advance for helping us to become a better company for people of all backgrounds.
The Operations Continuous Improvement Engineer II is responsible for driving projects from beginning stages to completion while having a significant impact on business needs. As a CI Engineer, you will be responsible for driving process improvement initiatives around the business operations in the warehouse and/or distribution while maintaining high levels of quality, safety, employee morale, cost, and production at the forefront. You will work closely with the facilities team to implement solutions, coach and train the operations leadership team and associates. The CI Engineer will be the data resource of the team and will ensure data-driven decisions are made. As we launch new markets and experiment operationally, the CI Engineer ensures we continue to delight our customers and improve our unit economics by collecting, documenting, and instilling best practices across the company. The role is part process design, part project management, and part hands-on implementation. Regular travel to Imperfect facilities in each of our markets and working with local Operations teams is required.

Responsibilities:

• Works with cross-functional teams to support the launch of new projects and line expansions te
• Maintain a thorough understanding of our Warehouse and Delivery Operations inside and out
• Recommends process, procedures, and modifications to improve production efficiencies, manufacturing techniques and production yields for existing products
• Determines appropriate skills necessary for equipment/process operability and establishing training requirements
• Develops and coaches current CI Engineers
• Analyze data, use of basic statistical tools, and use value stream mapping to gain a deeper understanding of processes and identify strategic improvement opportunities
• Employ a working knowledge of standard work to ensure every work activity is properly defined, displayed (point-of-use), and accurately followed by every person to enable safety adherence, consistent quality, and productivity is achieved.
• Use basic Lean Principles to develop process improvement initiatives
• Manage a portfolio of lean projects directed at reducing waste and improving quality to provide greater valve; implement such tools as 5S, KPI, SMED, VSM, and Kaizen.
• Implements such tools as SPC, Process Capability, Pareto analysis, Fishbone, SMED
• Create documentation for training materials such as checklists, standard work, and standard operating procedures
• Communicates plans and other agreements to stakeholders for alignment while listening to feedback and making modifications if appropriate
• Work alongside the Operations Management team in each market to research and drive continuous improvement projects in the warehouse and delivery network
• Be a “leader of change”. Practice “Servant Leadership”. This person must be comfortable working with all levels within the organization. They must be able to question the status quo and be a strong communicator.
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational, and time management skills.
• Must maintain satisfactory attendance, to include timeliness

Skills and Qualifications:

• Two-to Five years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing or warehouse and/or delivery operations environment
• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, project management or equivalent experience
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and practices. 
• Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma Certified, and capable of providing examples of the use of Lean tools.
• Ability to collaborate and work cross-functionally with a variety of teams including Operations, HR, Supply, Innovation, Customer Care, and Marketing
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with little supervision, and able to work in a changing environment with changing priorities.
• Develop manufacturing processes that are applicable to best manufacturing practices and develop those techniques.
• Demonstrated experience recognizing and identifying root causes for subtle differences in processes and data sets
• Ability to Coach and to practice a very strong and disciplined Lean daily management approach at the point of value-adding to enable a continual focus on process improvement to eliminate waste. This includes maintaining visual controls that track only the critical metrics, which tell you whether you are eliminating waste from your value-adding activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A self-starter attitude and an ability to attack problems with minimal direction
• Experience using G Suite and Microsoft Office applications, and project management software such as Asana
• Skilled in the use of Google-suites and Microsoft Suites - Intermediate level
• Skilled in learning new concepts quickly

About You:

• You have experience working in a fast-paced environment, ideally in a venture-backed growth-stage start-up
• You’re an extremely thorough communicator; does not lead by fiat, but rather helps peers and teams understand the “why” behind actions
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational, and time management skills.
• Must maintain satisfactory attendance, including timeliness
• You’re passionate about our mission to eliminate food waste and create a better food system for all
• You have a great passion for process improvement and want to be an agent of change to reduce waste

Details of the Position:

• Full-time exempt position reporting to the Warehouse Optimization Manager 
• Position based out of our walnut, CA Warehouse
• Salary and employee stock options commensurate with experience
• Competitive benefits package including health care paid vacation, 401K, paid parental leave, and recurring credit towards your Imperfect account!
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work required occasionally 

Physical Requirements:

• Sedentary work; involves sitting at times
• While performing the duties of this job, must have the ability to work in hot or cold conditions, stand for the duration of the shift, use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; ascend stairs; balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. 
• Occasionally lift up to 50 lbs. 
• Able to work in noisy environments within a warehouse setting
• Occasional movement around the office may be necessary
• Regular work with computers, including keyboards, mouses, and screens
• Regular use of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets
• Domestic travel to new and existing local facilities required as needed

Imperfect's commitment to DEIImperfect Foods is steadfast in its commitment to being an actively anti-racist company.We understand that it is necessary to take ownership and accountability for building an equitable workplace where all members of our organization can truly belong. It is our responsibility to ensure that every department at every level of our business reflects the diversity of the world we live in. We aim to achieve this through our hiring practices and by championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming that fosters a supportive work environment where everyone can thrive and have connections across teams.
DEI programming is available for all employees and we highly encourage staff participation. It is only with everyone’s unique perspectives, experiences, and beliefs that we can help shape a culture of belonging and create an environment where all Imperfectionists are celebrated.
U.S. E-Verify Notice: Imperfect Foods participates in E-Verify in the United States. Imperfect will provide the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
COVID update for on-site employees: All Imperfect Foods employees must be fully vaccinated to be on-site or at company functions. For roles that require an employee to be on-site to fulfill their job functions: job offers are contingent on providing proof of vaccination (e.g., a copy of a vaccine card or other similar official document confirming vaccination status).