Continuous Improvement Specialist
Job Location: Bloomington, IL
Company description
Ferrero is a family-owned company with a truly progressive and global outlook and iconic brands such as Nutella®, Tic Tac®, Ferrero Rocher®, Raffaello®, Kinder Bueno® and Kinder Surprise®. As the love for our brands continues to grow, so too does our global reach. Represented in more than 50 countries, with products sold in more than 170, the Ferrero Group is loved by generations around the world. The secret to our global success? 40,000 dedicated employees who celebrate care and quality to craft a business, careers and brands we are proud of. Join us, and you could be one of them.
About the Role:
This role supports the SSP Manager in analyzing processes, identifying opportunities for optimization, and proposing strategic improvements to the Plant Manager. You’ll lead and support continuous improvement projects, playing a key role in deploying FOX (Ferrero Operational Excellence) initiatives and helping shape the future of our production system.
From collaborating with cross-functional teams and supporting UGP Master Plan execution, to promoting a culture of improvement and innovation, you'll influence departments, manage strategic projects, and contribute to the plant’s journey toward industrial excellence.
Main Responsibilities:
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Promote and implement FOX culture and tools across departments, ensuring standardization and measurable impact on SQCDME (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Motivation, Environment).
• Facilitate Workshops & Training: Lead FOX-related workshops (e.g., 5S, Root Cause Analysis, SMED) and deliver training through the Industrial Academy to build internal capabilities.
• Support Strategic & Ad Hoc Projects: Collaborate with SSP Managers on strategic initiatives and manage cross-functional and ad hoc projects to enhance plant performance.
• Lead Data-Driven Analysis: Analyze KPIs like OAE and OEE, conduct benchmarking, and use data to identify improvement opportunities and guide decision-making.
• Coordinate Improvement Initiatives: Manage idea generation (MiCo), evaluate benefits, and support implementation using structured methodologies and Smart Factory tools.
• Ensure Effective Communication: Maintain active communication across UGPs and departments to promote FOX initiatives and share progress on plant development programs.
• Monitor & Report Progress: Track project status, assess results, and produce regular reports on FOX activities and continuous improvement efforts.
• Standardize & Sustain Improvements: Verify sustainability of improvements, formalize successful initiatives into procedures, and share best practices across departments.
• Optimize Smart Factory Applications: Manage and configure Smart Factory apps (IM, Digital SIM, Mobile Maintenance), ensuring data accuracy and enabling continuous improvement.
• Support SQCDME Excellence: Facilitate and sustain projects aligned with SQCDME standards, contributing to industrial excellence across all operational areas.
Who we are looking for:
• Program/project management: Lead projects from ideation through execution phase, supported through standardized tools (Microsoft Project/Gaant Charts, etc).
• Change Management: Ability to follow management of change process (risk assessments, presentation, approval).
• Lean/TPM/6 Sigma Knowledge: Able to demonstrate, with examples, of implementation of Lean tools and systems and the ability to facilitate workshops that deliver quantified results.
• Digital Platform Implementation: Ability to create templates in a digital workspace to support the governance routines, digital checklists, improvement management, but not limited to using excel to create metrics.
• Experience in Manufacturing environment:
o 4 Year Degree highly preferred in the fields on manufacturing, business, or engineering.
o 4 Year minimum experience in manufacturing, ideally in food manufacturing. Working within a union environment is a plus (we have 4 unions at our site)
• Soft Skills: Must provide examples of leadership, conflict management, effective escalation/de-escalation
• Strong analytical skills: Ability to analyze large sets of data and provide insights to cross-functional teams.
Compensation Data
The base salary range for this position is $92,000- 115,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time.
In addition to base salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other benefits. Learn more about our benefits at
https://www.ferrerocareers.com/us/en/our-benefits
Diversity Statement
Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.
How to be successful in the role and at Ferrero:
Consumers, quality and care are at the heart of everything we do. So, to be successful at Ferrero, you’ll need to be just as consumer and product centric as we are - dedicated to crafting brilliant results for consumers around the world.