Process Improvement Engineer Position

Join our fast-growing, entrepreneurial family of companies! Open Gates Group is a family of companies consisting of Kalona Farms, Kalona Creamery, Farmers Creamery (the makers of Kalona SuperNatural), ARTI, Awesome Logistics, Provision Ingredients, and Frytown Properties. Our dairy products are minimally processed and come straight from Midwest family farms surrounding our creamery. We are currently seeking a Process Improvement Engineer to join our team in Kalona, IA.

Summary

The Process Improvement Engineer is responsible for supporting continuous improvement within the Open Gates Group manufacturing operations. This individual will develop and implement improved methods of manufacturing, procedures, and processes that result in improved efficiencies, yields, machine operations, and quality.

What you will do:

• Develops, implements and evaluates manufacturing policies, procedures and programs in support of industry best practices and regulations.
  
• Recommends changes or upgrades to equipment, work methods, or other aspects of the process to improve efficiency and utilization of resources including labor, energy and raw materials.
  
• Identifies process bottlenecks and devises solutions to resolve.
  
• Provides support, operations experience, continuous improvement and project management skills that ensure safe, efficient and low-cost plant operations.
  
• Identifies and performs risk assessments to identify product, process and/or safety exposures; evaluates potential risk impact; and provides guidance to internal teams.
  
• Applies techniques to improve processes by collecting and analyzing data, generating reports, and distributing information to project teams.
  
• Drives process improvement initiatives by coordinating project teams, communicating goals and scheduling, and seeing the project through to completion.
  
• Audits quality and operational processes, assuring compliance to standards, regulations, policies and procedures.
  
• Assists in on-site external Quality and Plant inspections.
  
• Investigates product-related complaints from internal and external customers.
  
• Provides recommendations that identify root cause analysis and/or corrective action responses.
  
• Provides leadership and support to internal team members.
  
• Other duties as requested.

What you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience. Experience in a food ingredients or food processing environment preferred.
• Skilled at using the Google applications suite.
• Exceptional organization skills with the capability of Project Management coordination.
• Strong listening skills with ability to distill information and direction in order to prioritize and focus on long and short-term tasks.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Flexible, level-headed, and able to work well under pressure.
• Exceptional verbal/written communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain excellent relationships with a diverse internal and external team.
• Proactive, self-motivated and possess the initiative and time management skills to work independently under pressure and react quickly to changing priorities.
• Willingness to continually embrace personal and professional development.
• Passion and alignment with our mission, vision, values & operating principles.

Our Benefits:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance, STD & LTD after 60 days of employment.
• Matching 401k after 1-year
• Benefit Bonus/Stipend
• Paid Holidays, Paid Time Off (PTO), & Birthday PTO
• Opportunity for advancement!
• Discounted employee purchases!
• Unique, entrepreneurial culture!

Our Mission and Guiding Principles:

We successfully create value and enhance lives by attending to how we do business!

We Treat People Right
We Think Like Entrepreneurs
We Offer a Great Place to Work
We Build Strong Relationships
We Create a Place to Learn & Improve Life in Our Community

Interested? 

Send your resume to tara.benson@opengatesgroup.com!  

If you have a passion for problem solving with a servant-minded attitude, join our team!