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Operational Excellence Specialist

Schreiber Foods · West Bend, WI · Full time

Posted Aug 14, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

The posting says you'll spend a lot of time on the production floor. How do you get operators to tell you about real problems?

What they are checking: Whether they build trust on the floor so problems surface early instead of being hidden.

Tell me about a Kaizen event or problem solving circle you facilitated. What made it work or not work?

What they are checking: Whether they can run a group improvement session that ends in action, not just a list of ideas.

Tell me about a time a cross-functional team disagreed on the cause of a problem. How did you get to the answer?

What they are checking: Whether they use data and structured tools to settle disagreements rather than going with the loudest voice.

What would you do

You made an improvement six months ago and now the line has slipped back to the old way. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they look at why the change didn't hold, such as training or leadership follow-up, instead of just re-announcing it.

How do you decide which problems to escalate to plant leaders and which to fix at the line level?

What they are checking: Whether they have judgment about scope and know when a problem needs resources they don't control.

This is a B shift role. How would you keep improvement work moving on a shift with fewer support people around?

What they are checking: Whether they can drive work independently and connect off-shift teams to the rest of the plant.

About the work

Walk me through a DMAIC project you led, from defining the problem to making the control plan.

What they are checking: Whether they have actually used the method end to end, including the control phase that most people skip.

How do you write a visual work instruction or SOP that an operator will actually use?

What they are checking: Whether they write for the person doing the work, with pictures and plain steps, not for an auditor.

What does a good Gemba walk look like to you?

What they are checking: Whether they see Gemba as going to see and asking questions, not a tour or an inspection.

How do you measure and communicate an improvement opportunity so plant leaders give it attention?

What they are checking: Whether they can put a problem in terms of safety, quality, cost or capacity that leaders care about.

How do you make sure your SOPs and forms meet the plant's food safety and document control requirements?

What they are checking: Whether they understand documents in a food plant are controlled records, not just helpful notes.

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The full job description

As published by Schreiber Foods.

Job Category: Engineering Job Family: Operations Excellence Work Shift: B (United States of America) Job Description: Deliver the efforts of Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing initiatives at the line level. 1. Drive Continuous Improvement and process standardization efforts in plant operations through: Engaging with production floor partners and other cross functional groups, to identify and escalate problems. 2. Identifying and completing projects through the application of Lean and DMAIC problem solving methods. 3. Measuring and communicating improvement opportunities to plant leaders and partners. 4. Monitoring and sustaining improvements by updating, creating, or maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other process documentation. What you'll do: • Identify and escalate problems by spending significant time engaged with production floor partners • Coordinate and facilitate team-based improvement activities such as Kaizen Events, problem solving circles (PSCs) and Gemba • Deliver small improvement projects by engaging with cross functional work teams and utilizing Lean and DMAIC principles • Develop forms, Visual Work Instructions, standard operating procedures, 5-S material, and other training material to support continuous improvement activities. All must comply with plant and organizational requirements. • Develop measurement tools which show compliance/non-compliance with plant standards as established by the program and communicate these to Ops Leadership, Plant Partners and Plant Leadership. • Monitor and coordinate the control and sustainment of process improvement efforts, related to Ops Excellence activities. • Provide guidance on Lean Tools, 5-S, Root Cause Analysis, TPS, Takt Time Analysis, Poke Yoke, Kanban, Waste (Muda) Reduction, etc. • Maintain and monitor plant partner training and documentation related to operations excellence. • Partner with other Operational Excellence team members to realize plant and company initiatives. • Other duties as assigned. Together with the leadership team, ensures compliance with Food Safety and Food Quality Plans, in addition to customer requirements. Interprets and communicates customer requirements to plant production and/or support groups. Establishes and Audits PCPs, CCPs and Standard Operating Procedures to define and monitor processes, to ensure customer requirements are met. Reviews incidents during which the procedures are not met and determines appropriate corrective action for partners failing to follow standard procedures. What you need to succeed: • High School Diploma/GED • 2-7 years of production experience • The Operational Excellence Specialist will be required to be certified as a Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt by the American Society of Quality (ASQ) no later than three (3) years following the assignment into this job. • Ability to identify waste in a process • Basic computer/technology skills, including Excel • Ability to effectively facilitate a training or meeting environment • Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with different groups • Passionate about continuous improvement • Ability to collect and interpret basic line information and data Qualifying positions offer: • A 401(k) plan with a generous, above market Schreiber match. • Personal Time Off (PTO) starting on day one. • Earn extra money for taking care of yourself. Eligible partners can earn a Wellness Incentive and receive an employer‑funded Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) to use on fitness, mental health, and other lifestyle expenses. • Pursue development that’s relevant to your role, career goals and the company. Plus, we offer tuition reimbursement if you want to further your education to grow in your role at Schreiber. • Get access to medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, pet and mental health benefits starting day one. • Experience caring like you’ve never experienced it before. We have a program that’s completely organized by and for other partners who need extra help. It’s called Partners Helping Partners. We have hundreds of examples of partners organizing fundraisers to help out others going through a hard time. • Benefits that support your whole life. Visit Schreiber – Care for you to see everything Schreiber offers to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Schreiber requires that an employee have authorization to work in the country in which the role is based. In the event, an applicant does not have current work authorization, Schreiber will determine, in its sole discretion, whether to sponsor an individual for work authorization. However, based on immigration requirements, not all roles are suitable for sponsorship. Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. Want to be alerted of new openings? Sign in and click the Job Alerts button in the upper-right corner to create job alerts.

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