About LiDestri Food and Drink

LiDestri Food and Drink has grown from our roots as a pasta sauce and salsa manufacturer to become an R&D engine, formulating and producing innovative food and beverage products for our national and retailer brand partners. A family-run company based in Rochester, NY, LiDestri employs over 1,200 people across five U.S. locations. We have decades-long partnerships with some of the most respected consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and the most highly inventive retailer brands.

Excellent Pay and Benefits:

• Great career-pathing

• Professional development, including unlimited online training courses

• Health insurance with premium contributions

• Dental, vision, HSA

• 100% company paid life insurance and long-term disability

• 401k – with employer match

• Paid time off to include- vacation, sick pay, wellness time off, and 10 holidays

• Company bonuses

• And many more….

POSITION SUMMARY:

Responsible to closely collaborate with and lead the project team during installation, commissioning, and capital startup by identifying issues, planning, organizing, and directing an engineering staff to resolve various losses in production related to poor productivity in both labor and equipment, yield losses, and quality losses and is required to identify and drive cost reduction initiatives throughout the LiDestri organization, as well as through cross-functional teams. This position will utilize various data collection and problem-solving tools to provide for sustainable improvements in operations, and to document and provide procedural documentation to ensure performance gains are embedded in the process and the people who execute them. This is to include but will not be limited to design improvements or new food manufacturing lines from first material delivered to finished goods packaging.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• In collaboration with departmental management, work to target maintainability issues, lower cost and improve productivity, while communicating opportunities for improved equipment operation, setup, changeover and maintenance;

• Lead the justification, establishment, and implementation of capital projects from inception through completion; initiating technical concepts, developing designs incorporating the optimal technical solutions, estimate and manage costs, formulate justifications, coordinate project/program executions, support line startups, and establish systems to train required personnel on new technologies;

• Lead standard engineering work processes and champion the best engineering practices for improved performance while analyzing the operational performance impacts of new equipment or equipment modifications across current operations;

• Implement advanced reliability tools and work processes for supporting reliability efforts in manufacturing plants;

• Works closely with maintenance to target maintainability issues, lower cost and improve productivity. . In addition, must be actively involved in the support, maintenance and upgrades of the LiDestri CMMS.

• Closely collaborate with R&D Process & Packaging, Quality Assurance, Safety, Information Systems, Manufacturing and Business Unit Teams among other functions on the definition of technology solutions and standardization opportunities across our product categories;

• Mentor Engineers on the use of appropriate selection of various problems solving tools to identify opportunities for improvement of various types of wastes in production. (RCCM’s, CA’s, Fishbone’s, ETC.)

• Lead regular technical project update meetings and collaborate with team members to effect changes resulting in the capturing of cost reductions, quality improvements, loss reductions, etc.

• Responsible for the oversight, creation and maintenance of Engineering Documentation, to include; specifications, assembly instructions, Engineering Change Forms, test protocols, process procedures, manufacturing SOP’s and instructions, and corresponding operator and maintenance trouble shooting guides.

• Creates working project plans for necessary improvements in yield, batching losses, quality improvements, and safety hazard eliminations. Project plans to include actions, owners, and effective implementation dates, and routine updates to assure timely execution of all improvements.

• Selection of and management of vendors and sub-contractors and other internal resources to assure effective implementation of technical improvement initiatives.

• Remains current with latest technology related to the manufacture of LFI products;

• Closely collaborate all other departments on the definition of technology solutions and standardization opportunities across our product categories;

• Participate in all business reviews as required and communicate and inform operational and business leaders of related work through scheduling, plant and business meetings and required project status reviews;

• Create and leverage internal and external partnerships with key suppliers and various support departments when necessary to provide technical input to problem solving initiatives.

• Support R&D and quality organizations responsible for the quality control of raw materials and finished products, as well as engineers responsible for the plant maintenance to assure effectiveness of the quality systems in production of quality products and respective expected improvements.

• Prepare capital expenditure requests, drawings and specifications for improved processes and equipment in conjunction with the design packaging, and OPEX organizations.

• Provide training and facilitation on root cause failure analysis, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA);

• Manage reliability projects, interact with vendors and work closely with project engineers. Provide “design for reliability” input to capital projects. Facilitate and manage ad hoc work teams. Provide technical leadership at all levels of the plant organization with special emphasis on interacting with the maintenance crews.

• Provide equipment, safety, and environmental risk mitigation leadership. Completes all tasks while strictly adhering to all required industry guidelines to include and not limit to; Plant Safety, Food Safety, SQF and all internal/external audits;

• Coach, mentor and develop staff, including preparing and conducting employee performance appraisal;

• Maintain employee work schedules including timecard approval, work assignments, job rotation, training, vacations and paid time off

• Report food safety & quality problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering, required.

• 10 years’ experience in food, beverage or pharmaceutical industry and/or high-speed packaged consumer goods manufacturing environment or equivalent experience preferred;

• Demonstrated experience in High Volume operations and production environments required;

• Demonstrated Problem solving techniques and approaches for various types of operational performance issues and quality problems and initiatives required;

• Passion for continuous improvement with Lean manufacturing and/or Lean Six Sigma experience (Lean Sic Sigma Green Belt Certification, preferred).

• Familiarity in an operations/manufacturing environment and knowledge of the relationship between processes, packaging components, and labor required to assemble components and systems.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications including Word, Excel, Power-point, and MS Project and familiarity with computerized information systems, including MES, MRP, CMMS, and SCADA systems.

• Strong communication, organizational, time management, interpersonal skills.

• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage and document projects effectively.

• Experience writing Engineering policies, procedures, proposals and reports; (Required)

• Technical Knowledge: Working knowledge of utility systems, processing technology, and controls in manufacturing environments and deploying and implementing new technologies in a fast-paced environment.

• Continuous Improvement: A track record of implementing TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and LEAN principles to create short- and long-term value.

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead a team, emphasizing trust and integrity.

• Process Optimization: Skilled in examining and re-engineering operations, formulating policy, and developing new strategies and procedures.

• Decision-Making: Ability to make administrative and procedural decisions on sensitive, confidential matters.

• Environmental Regulations: Understanding of federal and state environmental laws, regulations, procedures, and standards.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Regularly required to sit, use hands;

• Sedentary office environment, except for when required to be on the manufacturing floor

• Frequent exposure to manufacturing plant floor requiring the use of personal protective equipment (ear plugs, safety glasses, bump cap, skid-resistant leather shoes, etc.)

• Frequent exposure to extreme loud noises and moving by foot in the manufacturing areas

• Frequent exposure to extreme hot/cold (non-weather) environment

• May work in high places and near moving mechanical parts / conveyors

• Frequent lifting/carrying <50 pounds, reaching and use of fingers

• Occasionally lifting >50 pounds

• Potential exposure to caustic chemicals

• Must follow Good Manufacturing Practice (hair net, no jewelry, no fake nails or eyelashes, no food/drink, gum, etc. in manufacturing Plant).

  DISCLAIMER: The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed and is not an inclusive summary of job duties and responsibilities. The omission of specific statements of duties or responsibilities does not exclude them from the position. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and the employee and is subject to change by the Company as the needs of the Company and requirements of the job change.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to:

• Long periods of standing/moving, working around moving mechanical parts/conveyors

• Loud environment, hot/cold, wet/dry conditions

• Lifting/carrying <50 pounds

• Frequent reaching/pulling/climbing stairs/stooping/kneeling/bending

Employee Value Proposition

Our purpose and our promise is to actively nourish at every touchpoint; this starts with nourishing our workforce and extends to nourishing our many communities. We provide a safe and respectful environment, meaningful careers, awesome benefits, a world class wellness program… all of which inspire unity and collaboration amongst our LiDestri “family”.