Associate Director of CI, Ingredient Excellence

Associate Director of Continuous Improvement, Ingredient Quality (North America) We are looking for a high-impact leader to bridge the gap between Quality data and Operational execution. This role is designed for a proven, data-driven continuous improvement leader who uses analytics, trends, and structured problem-solving to identify systemic opportunities and deliver measurable results. You have the ability to turn data into scalable operational improvement. This is not a "desk job." As the Associate Director of Ingredient Excellence & CI, you will be the chief architect and project owner for North American quality standards. You will be responsible for identifying systemic failures and then leading the development and implementation of solutions through our entire supply chain, from suppliers through our operations and right to our customers' doorstep. You are successful only when the metrics move, which requires staying with a project from the initial data deep-dive through to final staff training and process adoption. You Will... Own the Implementation Lifecycle: Lead the end-to-end development and execution of our ingredient quality error governance. You don’t do band-aid fixes, and you are able to sort signals from noise. You don't just identify the root cause; you partner with all stakeholders to re-engineer the process and stay on-site until the defect rate drops. Architect the NA Meal Kit Quality Program: Develop a unified quality focus strategy for our North American network. This involves creating the standards, building the systems & process, and setting up the automated tracking of the execution to ensure consistency across all sites. Turn Data into Action: Use KPIs, trend analysis, and performance data to identify systemic gaps and prioritize the highest-impact improvement opportunities across the network. Translate insights into scalable solutions and measure results to ensure improvements are sustained. Drive Operational Accountability: Act as the "boots on the ground" leader who translates quality KPIs into actionable SOPs for our Distribution Centers. You will manage the process implementation to ensure new quality initiatives are adopted, sustained, and reflected in the data. Advanced Quality Reporting: Own the North American quality reporting suite. You will evolve our real-time data capabilities to provide the business with predictive insights rather than just post-mortem reports. Use reporting not simply to describe performance, but to identify trends, uncover root causes, prioritize action, and measure business impact. Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the primary quality liaison for Product, Procurement, Operations and Logistics. If they are hearing about problems, you are their first call to help fix it. Continuous Improvement Mentality: Apply Lean or Six Sigma methodologies to eliminate waste and reduce ingredient damage, directly impacting the bottom line. Lead structured improvement initiatives across multiple sites and translate successful solutions into scalable network standards. Build and Mentor a High-Performance Team: Recruit, train, coach, and manage a team of quality professionals and continuous improvement specialists across North America, fostering a culture of accountability, data-driven decision-making, and excellence. Drive Organizational Change: Champion quality-first thinking throughout the organization, influencing leaders and inspiring team members at all levels to adopt new processes and standards. You Are... Data-Driven: You naturally start with the data. You can identify patterns and trends, distinguish symptoms from systemic problems, and turn insights into measurable operational improvements. A Continuous Improvement Leader: You have a demonstrated track record of solving complex problems, improving processes, and scaling successful solutions across sites, functions, or business units. An Operator at Heart: You understand that a qualit