Associate Director of Ingredient Quality & Continuous Improvement

Associate Director of Ingredient Excellence & Continuous Improvement (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 quality program is only as good as the operator’s ability to execute it. You enjoy being on the ground, walking the lines, and solving problems in real-time.
• A "Finisher": You have a proven track record of seeing complex projects through to completion. You don't "throw ideas over the fence"; you jump the fence and help build the solution.
• Strategic & Tactical: You can present a 3-year quality roadmap to a boardroom in the morning and troubleshoot a conveyor belt/packaging interface with a floor lead in the afternoon.
• Influential: You can convince Ops leaders to change their processes by proving that higher quality standards lead to higher efficiency and lower costs.
• A Talent Developer: You are a dedicated mentor who takes pride in developing the next generation of quality and operational leaders, providing clear career paths and constructive feedback.
• An Influential Communicator: You effectively communicate complex quality initiatives, process changes, and performance results to diverse audiences, from associates in our sites to execs in a meeting room.

At a Minimum, You Have...

• Experience: 8+ years in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Quality, Supply Chain, or related operational disciplines, with demonstrated experience using data to drive measurable improvements across complex operations. You have a history of managing teams and large-scale projects in a high-volume manufacturing or logistics environment.
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Analytics, or a related discipline. (Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt highly preferred).
• Continuous Improvement: Demonstrated experience using Lean, Six Sigma, DMAIC, Kaizen, RCA, or similar structured problem-solving methodologies to deliver measurable results.
• Data & Analytics: Demonstrated ability to analyze KPIs and performance trends, identify systemic gaps, develop actionable insights, and measure the impact of implemented solutions. Experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI strongly preferred.
• Quality/Food: Experience within food manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, quality, or another complex operational environment preferred.
• Travel: Ability to travel up to 25% to North American Distribution Centers. This role requires a physical presence to ensure process implementation is successful.

Newark, NJ Pay Range

$140,000—$170,000 USD