Continuous Improvement Manager
Bowery Farming, South Africa

Founded in 2015, Bowery Farming is on a mission to democratize access to high-quality, local, safe and sustainable produce. We build smart indoor farms near cities, growing fresher, pesticide-free Protected Produce with bold flavor in precisely controlled environments, 365 days a year. At the heart of each farm is the proprietary BoweryOS, which integrates software, hardware, sensors, AI, computer vision systems, machine learning models, and robotics to orchestrate and automate the entirety of its operations. As a result, each farm creates far less waste and uses a fraction of the water and land compared to traditional agriculture. For more insight on our culture, our teams, and all the things that make us so unique, check out The Roots: Bowery Farming's People Podcast.
About the Role
Bowery Farming is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager for Farm Operations. As the Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager, you will be part of our Operational Excellence (OpEx) team and help drive the passion and pursuit to improve every day at Bowery. This role will help build greater continuous improvement capabilities across the organization and direct initiatives to support the company's goals.
You will own critical components to achieve and enhance a sustainable CI culture, including the oversight of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) program. As a part of owning LSS, the role will work closely with our teams in further equipping and developing others in CI. Specific accountabilities include: Support the deployment of CI throughout Bowery. Partner with OpEx Champions and other Leaders to drive continuity of improvement efforts and to identify best practices as related to LSS.
Oversee all aspects of the CI LSS Green Belt and Black Belt program including training, certification, projects, value tracking, and mentoring. Facilitate or sponsor CI efforts such as process studies, Lean Kaizen events, and LSS projects. Head multiple LSS projects focused on key strategic goals. You’ll join Bowery Farming at a critical point in our growth trajectory. You will operate in a multidisciplinary environment with engineers, computer scientists, agricultural scientists, retail and other functions and your work will meaningfully impact the evolution of the indoor agriculture industry, making history.Come join us!What You’ll Do:

• Lead the implementation of high-performance Farm Teams using fundamental principles of Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement.
• Travel (50%) to our various farm locations to provide support and lead initiatives.
• Train, coach, and guide Leaders to become high effective Continuous Improvement Champions driving results the right way (delivering the what and also the how) exemplifying Bowery Values and becoming advocates of CI/OpEx practices.
• Lead several Process Improvement Projects (PIP), typically 6-12 weeks each following DMAIC methodology, to reduce waste and eliminate losses. A key aspect of PIP, in addition to deliver results, is to develop skills and leadership among team members that participate in these projects so that these team members can lead future PIP.
• Ensure employees have the right tools, knowledge and equipment required to do their jobs effectively and safely.
• Promote a culture of world class performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
• Facilitate or sponsor CI efforts such as process studies, Lean Kaizen events, and LSS projects
• Influence and drive improvements to the Bowery Farming production software system

Who You Are:

• An Operations leader with experience working in food manufacturing facilities that operate 24/7.
• Have earned your Lean amp; Six Sigma green belt; a black belt is a strong plus.
• Demonstrated skills leading continuous improvement projects
• Excellent analytical, problem solving, and superior management skills
• An operations professional that makes things happen
• You have strong mentoring, coaching experience to a team with diverse levels of expertise
• Ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports and peers
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills
• Detail amp; process orientation
• Food safety and production experience is required, experience with farming and growing operations would be a strong plus.
• This is a key role and we are looking for a leader that can come in and multiply our success. Our ability to maintain healthy, efficient facilities will help drive Bowery’s growth into a worldwide network of interconnected farms. You don’t need to know anything about farming, we will teach the way we do farming leveraging technology in a new and exciting way!

Who We Are:

• Bowery is a place where everyone is welcome,