Principal CI Engineer
Sioux Falls, South Dakota Job ID 26-1778 Date posted Mar. 02, 2026 Category EngineeringResponsible for identifying, developing,evaluating and adapting innovativefood processes and equipment,creating new opportunities forincreased capacity or operationalimprovement methods from idea toimplementation.
Responsible for identifying, developing,evaluating and adapting innovativefood processes and equipment,creating new opportunities forincreased capacity or operationalimprovement methods from idea toimplementation. Lead processimprovement initiatives to identify andeliminate waste and non-value-addedwork utilizing manufacturing practicessuch as Lean, Six Sigma and HPO.Provide support from a manufacturingperspective in the development andvalidation of new capacity andprocesses. Develop proposals thatinclude return on investment, benefitsand alternatives for special projects.Work closely with plant personnel todevelop or enhance new processeswithin the manufacturing facility.Assist in identifying bottleneck pointsin the value stream analysis andidentifying projects for increased capacity. Provide leadership and leantraining to plant personnel. Identifyand prioritize the top improvementopportunities and provide theappropriate data to ensure leadershipconsensus and buy-in. Update keycommunications and providesummaries to business leadership.Participate as a member of the siteand/or functional leadership team(where applicable); be the site voicefor CI and lean thinking. Identify andimplement major improvement projectsinvolving new processes and/ortechnologies. Work with each businessunit and R&D to define operationaltargets including processingparameters and performance criteria.Utilize data, knowledge and experienceto help set standards and insure BOMsand routings are accurate. Applystatistical analysis to products andprocesses to assure meeting customerrequirements while optimizingoperations. Mentor, coach, and trainemployees on how to makeimprovements using data and dataanalysis (statistical methods). Empower employees to propose andjustify maintenance improvements,R&D improvements, etc. bydetermining financial saving andproject prioritization based on time,labor and financial investment. Lead orsponsor cross-functional teams as anengineer on major improvementopportunities. Participate in theplanning process associated with GSCperformance; provides subjectexpertise in support of improvementplanning. Lead, sponsor or participatein improvement initiatives to eliminatewaste and non-value-added workutilizing standard practices such as Lean, Six Sigma, and problem solving.Provide leadership to CI practitionersand others; develop people and providegrowth opportunities. Own developing,implementing and improving overallimprovement programs at the sitelevel. Utilize change managementstrategies for implementingimprovements. Demonstrate projectmanagement proficiency by definingproject requirements and milestones,tracking progress, resolving problems,communicating progress, andrecommending / executing actions.Other duties, as assigned. Responsible to conduct yourself and ensure your subordinates (if applicable) conduct themselves in a mannerconsistent with company mission, values, code of ethics, policies, and other standards of conduct.
Eduction: Master’s degree (U.S. or foreignequivalent) in Supply ChainEngineering, Industrial Engineering,Chemical Engineering, ManufacturingSystems Engineering or closely relatedfield.
Candidates with qualifying master’sdegree must have at least three yearsof experience in the role of ProductionSupervisor, Process Engineer,Continuous Improvement Leader,Continuous Improvement in Manufacturing Manager, ManagerContinuous Improvement, ContinuousImprovement Engineer or similarlytitled role involving identifyingcontinuous improvements to eliminateinefficient processes and improvingefficiency for a plant or plants in amanufacturing industry, including thefood industry.
Bachelor’s degree (U.S. or foreignequivalent) in Supply ChainEngineering, Industrial Engineering,Chemical Engineering, ManufacturingSystems Engineering or a closelyrelated field.
Candidates with a qualifying bachelor’sdegree must have at least five years ofexperience in the role of ProductionSupervisor, Process Engineer,Continuous Improvement Leader,Continuous Improvement inManufacturing Manager, ManagerContinuous Improvement, ContinuousImprovement Engineer or similarlytitled role involving identifyingcontinuous improvements to eliminateinefficient processes and improvingefficiency for a plant or plants in amanufacturing industry, including thefood industry.
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