Why Work for KeHE?
- Full-time
- Pay Range: $95,700.00/Yr. - $140,239.00/Yr.
- Shift Days: , Shift Time:
- Benefits on Day 1
- Health/Rx
- Dental
- Vision
- Flexible and health spending accounts (FSA/HSA)
- Supplemental life insurance
- 401(k)
- Paid time off
- Paid sick time
- Short term & long term disability coverage (STD/LTD)
- Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
- Holiday pay for company designated holidays
Overview
At KeHE, we're obsessed with creating solutions, unboxing potential, and serving others - and it all starts with you. As an employee-owned distributor of natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products, we're committed to making a positive impact and scaling our success together. With a culture that fosters development and opportunity, you'll be embarking on a career that's moving forward. When you join KeHE, you're becoming part of a team that is a force for good.
Primary Responsibilities
The Senior Continuous Improvement Engineer is responsible for leading enterprise-wide improvement initiatives that drive operational excellence, Lean transformation, and cost reduction across multiple distribution centers. This position serves as both a hands-on project leader and a coach for site-level CI Engineers and Operations leaders. As with all positions at KeHE Distributors, we expect that all actions will be consistent with KeHE's Mission, Vision, and Values.
Essential Functions
DUTIES, TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead large-scale, cross-functional process improvement initiatives that align with corporate and regional objectives.
- Coach and mentor CI Engineers and site leaders on Lean methodologies, problem solving (A3, root cause analysis, PDCA), and daily management practices.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for Lean Daily Management (LDM), Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen events, and standard work deployment.
- Facilitate the design and implementation of continuous improvement roadmaps at each distribution center, ensuring adherence to KeHE's Lean governance model.
- Partner with Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain leadership to identify improvement opportunities that drive measurable results in cost-to-serve, safety, quality, and throughput.
- Utilize data analytics and statistical tools to identify trends, quantify impact, and verify benefits of CI initiatives.
- Standardize best practices across multiple facilities and ensure sustainability through audits, visual management, and training.
- Lead problem-solving workshops and kaizen events to drive engagement and ownership at all levels of the organization.
- Provide guidance on system integration opportunities such as labor management, WMS optimization, automation, and process digitization.
- Support and develop training materials, CI maturity assessments, and Lean culture initiatives across the network.
- Collaborate with Human Resources and Operations leadership to build Lean capability and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Other duties and special projects as assigned.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
- Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence across multiple levels of the organization.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management capabilities.
- Proven ability to coach others in Lean tools such as 5S, VSM, standard work, TPM, Kanban, and flow design.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Power BI) and project management software.
- Knowledge of JDA/Blue Yonder or similar systems for labor forecasting, performance tracking, and workflow analysis.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously across different sites with minimal supervision.
- Skilled in facilitating workshops, conducting time studies, and implementing data-driven process improvements.
- Demonstrated experience driving change and influencing culture in a fast-paced distribution or manufacturing environment.
- Ability to travel up to 50%, including multi-state travel by air or vehicle.
Minimum Requirements, Qualifications, Additional Skills, Aptitude
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations, or a related field required.
- Minimum of 7+ years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Lean Implementation, or Industrial Engineering within a distribution or manufacturing environment.
- Minimum of 2+ years of experience leading multi-site projects or mentoring CI practitioners.
- Lean certification required (e.g., Lean Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt).
- Experience leading VSMs, Kaizen events, and LDM deployment required.
- Master's degree or formal change management certification (e.g., Prosci) is a plus.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Work performed is typically performed in a temperature-controlled environment
- Must sit, stand, or walk for extended periods
- May spend long periods at a desk or computer terminal
- May use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment during workday
- Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties
- Work is fast-paced; occasional evening and weekend work may be required
Requisition ID
2025-27316
Equal Employer Opportunity Statement
KeHE Distributors provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or faith, sex, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, mental or physical disability or medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training as well as the administration of all Human Resources and Talent Acquisition processes.