Continuous Improvement Manager

We are currently hiring a Full-Time Focused Improvement Manager hybrid* in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania.

As a Focused Improvement Pillar Manager at our corporate level, you will be the driving force behind our continuous improvement efforts across multiple brewery sites. You will establish and standardize robust problem-solving capabilities, ensuring that each site can effectively identify and address operational challenges. In this role, you'll be a key coach and mentor, guiding site-level FI Pillar leaders and teams in deploying tools like Unified Problem Solving and Initial Problem Solving, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement. You'll also oversee the governance of the FI pillar, ensuring that best practices are maintained and that the PDCA cycle is fully executed.

*A Hybrid position at Boston Beer requires that our coworkers reside within commuting distance to be onsite according to their teams' weekly schedule.

What You'll Brew:

Establish and Standardize Problem-Solving Capabilities:

• Develop and roll out company-wide standards for problem-solving methodologies, including Unified Problem Solving (UPS) and Initial Problem Solving (IPS).

Coach and Support Site-Level FI Pillar Leaders:

• Serve as a subject-matter expert and coach for structured problem solving, including:
  
  
  
  • Unified Problem Solving (UPS)
  • Initial Problem Solving (IPS)
  • Other tools such as Production Transformation Analysis, Machine Quality Matrix, Bottleneck Analysis, and Work Point Analysis to drive continuous improvement
  
  

Pillar Ownership and Governance:

• Own the Focused Improvement pillar at the corporate level, including standards, expectations, and ways of working.
• Conducts health checks, ensure adherence to the PDCA cycle, and verify that improvement processes are functioning as intended.
• Own change over optimization and standardization via RCO (rapid change over) work processes.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining of engaged & high-performing coworkers.
• Ensures that direct reports are provided with clear expectations & direction and are empowered and held accountable to achieve their goals and perform their jobs.
• Builds a collaborative & results-oriented team by resolving conflicts as they arise, removing roadblocks, inspiring people to action, and helping the team to decide to change and/or make changes.
• Provides regular and meaningful feedback to coworkers through development, coaching, and comprehensive performance reviews that focuses on learning, growth and continuous improvement.

Physical Demands

• All production roles are required to pass a pre-employment physical exam to comply with their specific role requirement(s)
• Certain roles may require the use of a respirator and passing the associated fit test
• Ability to lift up to 50lbs, sometimes repeatedly
• Regular walking and standing for long periods of time (up to 11 hours a day) on concrete, metal and grated surfaces
• Responsibilities may require crouching, stepping over, crawling under, bending, twisting, climbing and reaching above head and shoulders repeatedly throughout the day
• Responsibilities may require climbing flights of stairs, working from heights or on elevated platforms
• Ability to wear assigned PPE (safety shoes, gloves, facemask, hearing protection and hard hat)
• Established dexterity so you can handle materials, operate equipment and interface with computer systems with precision
• Some roles (e.g., forklift operator) may be required to sit for a prolonged period of time and have strong peripheral vision and depth perception

Working Conditions

• There is frequent exposure production environments:
  
  
  
  • Subject to loud and constant noise
  • Non-environmentally conditioned spaces which may lead to extreme hot and cold
  • Operating environment is complex and densely populated with production equipment and forklifts that necessitates high situational awareness
  • Work overtime as needed which may require 12-hour days, weekends, and holidays
  
  

Skills and Behaviors

Skills and Behaviors create a framework for what we want see in our coworkers. Our skills and behaviors drive both business performance and personal growth. They create a common language to talk about how we perform our jobs, how we accomplish goals, and the behaviors and skills that we seek to develop within our teams. Please refer to the Career Journey site on Brew Hub to learn more about skills and behaviors.

What Ingredients You'll Bring:
Minimum Qualifications:

• 4+ years in progressive operational and process engineering roles
• Proven ability with implementing lean processes on the shopfloor
• Has strong understanding of Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM), World Class Manufacturing (WCM), or Integrated Works Systems (IWS)
• Relevant financial acumen in supply chain finance
• Relevant experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Power BI
• 4 Year / Bachelor's Degree in appropriate field of study of Engineering, Supply Chain, or Business

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct Leadership of both Operations and Maintenance/Reliability Departments
• Advanced Proficiency in Problem solving - including UPS, IPS, and/or Six Sigma certification (Black Belt, Green Belt)
• Experience in consumer-packaged goods industry

Level: 6

At the Boston Beer Company and in accordance with pay transparency laws, we are open about our salary ranges. For this role, the salary range is between $82,000 and $141,000. However, it's important to note that where the person hired starts in this range is dependent on their related experience, skillset and location. Additionally, this position qualifies for a discretionary annual bonus based on company and individual performance, and certain sales roles might include a car allowance.

Some Perks:

Our people are our most important "ingredient." We hire the best talent; and we reward, develop, and retain them too.

In addition to generous healthcare on day one, stock purchase plan, 401k and more, Full Time Boston Beer Coworkers have the following perks available*:

• Tuition reimbursement
• Fertility/adoption support
• Free financial coaching
• Health & wellness program and discounts
• Professional development & training
• Free beer!

*Talk to your recruiter about eligibility

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Fair Chance Ordinance and the CA Fair Chance Act.

Boston Beer Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. In order to help ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who wish to request accommodation in the job application process can contact jobs@bostonbeer.com for assistance.

#LI-Hybrid