JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Description:

At Nature’s Bakery, we’re passionate about powering life’s adventures with delicious, better-for-you snacks crafted from real, wholesome ingredients. From our iconic Fig Bars to our exciting range of soft-baked treats, we believe everyone deserves snacking options that nourish the body and delight the taste buds. As a proud member of the Mars family of companies, we’re experiencing rapid growth fueled by strategic investments in our people, bakeries, and innovation. We foster a values-driven, people-first culture where collaboration, creativity, and community thrive—making every day meaningful and rewarding. Our future looks brighter than ever. Join us and help bake something better.

This role supports our manufacturing for our sister company tru fru.

What You’ll Be Doing

As a Continuous Improvement (CI) Specialist, you’ll play a key role in driving operational excellence across our bakery. You’ll lead loss elimination efforts, coach teams on problem-solving, and help shape how we continuously improve our processes and systems. You’ll partner closely with line leaders and operators to strengthen daily management systems, ensure data integrity, and support a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

In This Role, You Will:

• Lead and facilitate loss elimination initiatives across your assigned Value Stream.

• Support the development and execution of Daily Management Systems (DMS), including Centerline (CL), Clean-Inspect-Lubricate (CIL), Abnormality Handling (AH), 5S, and Changeover systems.

• Analyze line data to identify and prioritize loss elimination opportunities.

• Drive root cause problem-solving on chronic issues, using both basic and advanced tools.

• Partner with production and technical teams to define process standards, establish control strategies, and enable teams to respond to out-of-control situations.

• Facilitate team meetings and NBOS CP2 sessions; communicate clearly across shifts and functions.

• Collaborate with line leaders to ensure all departmental metrics (safety, quality, efficiency) are achieved.

• Train and coach associates to build technical mastery and problem-solving capabilities.

• Foster a culture of safety, quality, and teamwork through proactive engagement and accountability.

What You Bring:

Minimum Requirements

• Strong mechanical/technical aptitude with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort working with data systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to connect with and motivate people at all levels of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Trainer or demonstrated ability to effectively train and coach others.

• Experience facilitating process improvement initiatives and using Focused Improvement tools.

• Proven ability to provide constructive feedback and guide performance improvement.

• BA Degree (ENG, Supply Chain, Business, or technical field) or Associate's Degree with at least 2 years' experience in a TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) manufacturing environmen

Why You’ll Love It Here:

At Nature’s Bakery, you’ll find more than a career — you’ll find a community. We’re passionate about growth, integrity, inclusion, and, of course, making great snacks. We believe in empowering our people to make a real impact, one improvement at a time.

Join us and help bake up a better tomorrow!

The Good Stuff – Benefits

Our team members' physical and mental health is important to a thriving workplace. That’s why we offer the following benefits to full-time employees:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance offered for eligible employees

• 401(k) plan with a company match that vest on day 1 of eligibility

• Paid vacation

• Paid time off

• Holiday pay (11 days)

• Paid short-term disability

• Paid life insurance

• Banfield Pet Insurance Discounts

• Wellness Benefits and Discounts

• Employee Assistance Program

#NaturesBakeryjobs

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About Mars:

Mars is a family-owned business with more than $50 billion in global sales. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL® and COCOAVIA®. Alongside our consumer brands, we proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCA™ and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 150,000 Associates into taking action every day towards creating the world we want tomorrow.

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Commitment to Equal Employer Opportunities:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment in accordance with applicable law and 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 category protected under federal, state, and local laws. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

A Note to Candidates Regarding AI

Embracing AI as a vital skill for today and tomorrow, we welcome candidates to use AI to assist with your preparation as you engage with our recruiting process—from helping to perfect your CV/resume to using it to refine your interview skills. While AI can assist you, we expect that your ideas, responses, and demonstration of competencies throughout the recruitment process are authentically your own. We value genuine engagement and want to see the real you shine. At Mars, AI is here to support—not replace—the human connection at the heart of our recruitment process.

Note to Search Firms/Agencies:

Mars, Incorporated and its subsidiaries and affiliates (Mars) do not compensate search firms for unsolicited assistance unless they have a written search agreement with Mars and the requisition is position-specific. Any resumes, curriculum vitae, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a written search agreement or position-specific requisition submitted to any Associate of Mars will be deemed the sole property of Mars and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Mars.