Continuous Improvement Specialist

Christensen Farms•Sleepy Eye, MN

11d•$65,000 - $85,000

About The Position

Christensen Farms is one of the largest, family-owned pork producers in the United States, marketing approximately 3 million hogs per year. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, our 50 year old company operates throughout the Midwest with facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota. Christensen Farms owns three feed mills, manages 140,000 sows on 44 farms, and oversees more than 350 nurseries and grow-finish sites. Our organization employs nearly 1,000 people and maintains 1,500 contract partnerships. We are an industry leader with a proven commitment to ethical practices, food safety, and nutrition. Join our team! Position Overview: We are seeking a LEAN Continuous Improvement Specialist to collaborate with operational leadership in driving LEAN initiatives and fostering a culture of continuous improvement across the organization. This role is instrumental in identifying inefficiencies, implementing sustainable process enhancements, and supporting long-term strategies that boost productivity, quality, and cost savings. From Our Manager: "This is an exciting opportunity to advance your career while making meaningful impact as a driving force for continuous improvement. In this role, you'll take the lead on enhancing operational efficiency across our swine production system, working independently and building strong cross-functional relationships. You'll play a key role in implementing LEAN principles and shaping the future of our performance-driven culture". Hiring Manager

Requirements

Agricultural and/or manufacturing process improvement experience in continuous improvement using LEAN Six Sigma techniques.
Highly prefer LEAN training, certification and experience as a green belt, implementing projects under the direction of a black belt.
Ability to clearly present information, influence behaviors, and communicate across departments.
Ability to travel: This role may involve frequent travel for the first 18-24+ months as part of a long-term project rollout across multiple production sites. Once implementation is complete, the position will shift into a more permanent, regional-based role.
Strong critical thinking, creativity, and motivational skills in fast-paced, team-driven settings, prioritizing relationship-building, earning trust, and inspiring confidence across all levels of the organization.
A data-driven and curious mindset with a strong focus on measuring work outcomes and creatively solving problems.
Flexible, organized, and compliance-focused, with the sound judgment needed to escalate issues appropriately and ensure operational integrity.

Nice To Haves

Black belt certification a plus. Will consider a range of experience from yellow through black belt certified.
Strong Bilingual language skills in English and Spanish.
Farm and/or livestock care and/or process improvement experience.

Responsibilities

Assist in training team members on LEAN program objectives, while supporting the planning and execution of Kaizen events using LEAN Six Sigma tools.
Identify and prioritize process improvement opportunities that reduce waste, lower costs, and enhance execution by leveraging available resources such as people, materials, and finances.
Collaborate with production sites and support departments to drive continuous improvement, develop clear implementation plans and timelines, and resolve technical problems with appropriate resources.
Solicit employee buy-in to support successful change management initiatives and ensure sustained improvements across all levels.
Conduct in-depth analyses to assess current conditions, evaluate improvement potential, and communicate intervention needs to the LEAN/Continuous Improvement Manager.
Monitor execution at LEAN-trained sites through routine audits of tools like 5S and Standard Work, while teaching and tracking performance metrics and key deliverables.

Benefits

Join a respected, family-owned leader in pork production with a 50-year legacy of innovation, integrity, and animal care.
Take advantage of hands-on leadership opportunities, ongoing training, and clear career advancement paths within a collaborative team environment that values hard work, accountability, and personal growth across all levels of farm operations.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, a flexible spending account (FSA), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, paid time off bank, an employee assistance program (EAP), and more.
Be an active part of an organization that gives back to the community in many ways – including feed programs that support local farms, food shelf programs, food support for veterans, agriculture education and promotion, FFA/4H support, charitable contributions, etc.
A company that has a passionate purpose for food safety, animal welfare, and for living its core values every day – respect, integrity, excellence, adaptability, and innovation.
A culture that fosters employee growth, hybrid work options, promotion from within, and a highly team-oriented workplace environment.

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