Operational Excellence Specialist

California Dairies, Inc. • Bakersfield, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Join the California Dairies, Inc. (CDI) team, a farmer-owned cooperative dedicated to sustainably producing the highest quality dairy products while fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. CDI products are delivered locally and around the world. Our state-of-the-art Extended Shelf Life (ESL) and Aseptic Ultra High Temperature (UHT) dairy bottling facility, Valley Natural Beverages, produces premium beverages in various formats, and these shelf-stable products are shipped globally. We encourage you to be part of our team that's shaping the future of dairy, right from the heart of California!
Our commitment to CDI employees:
We believe in valuing our team with a total rewards package that goes beyond the basics. You'll find we offer competitive pay and incentive programs designed to recognize and reward your contributions. Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous paid time off, sick days & holidays, retirement plans designed to secure your future. We don't stop there. We've also cultivated a variety of valuable programs focused on your personal well-being and professional growth, ensuring you have the support you need to both inside and outside of work.
Job Summary
The Operational Excellence Specialist is a full-time, fixed-term role focused on supporting and sustaining foundational Operational Excellence programs. The role is hands-on and shop-floor focused, supporting programs such as Centerlining, Defect Identification, Clean-Inspect-Lubrication (CIL), while assisting with KPI tracking and visual management. Working under the guidance of the Operational Excellence Manager, the Specialist will help coordinate operator training, identify skill gaps, track training plans, and maintain accurate documentation.

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills with the ability to design training content.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across multiple departments.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing processes and equipment, preferably in dairy manufacturing.
• Team player who wants to support the manufacturing team.
• Knowledge of learning and management systems and operations training processes.
• Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, attention to detail, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• 1-3 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement
• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills; comfortable coaching front-line teams and supervisors.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or related technical field
• Proficient computer knowledge, including Microsoft Office products
• English is required as the written and spoken language.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate a performance and problem-solving mindset, empowering front line operators and teams to own improvement initiatives.
• Support deployment and sustainment of Centerlining standards to reduce variation and improve equipment stability.
• Implement Defect Identification processes (tagging, escalation, follow-up) and reinforce defect elimination routines.
• Execute Clean-Inspect-Lubrication (CIL) program elements with Maintenance and Operations teams; verify adherence and closure of findings.
• Participate in Focused Improvement activities; support root cause analysis to eliminate losses.
• Assist with OEE loss identification and prioritization; help align improvement actions.
• Support and enforce SQF / QA, GMP, Safety policies and procedures.
• Flexibility with schedule to meet the demands of a 24 x 7 operation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• competitive pay and incentive programs designed to recognize and reward your contributions
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• generous paid time off, sick days & holidays
• retirement plans designed to secure your future
• valuable programs focused on your personal well-being and professional growth

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level