Manufacturing Specialist

West Liberty Foods, headquartered in West Liberty, Iowa is a recognized leader in the food industry and one of North America’s top protein processors. Simply put, we are a food company who manufacturers a wide variety of turkey, ham, chicken, and beef products that can be found in well-known grocery stores and top restaurants nationwide. We are the “The Surprisingly Big Company” and employ over 2,100 people across our four facilities and offices in Iowa, Illinois, and Utah.

Manufacturing Specialist is responsible for gathering data and distributing the necessary information to the key stakeholders in operations. The Manufacturing Specialist will utilize lean principles to assist in monitoring manufacturing processes and provide data to make necessary changes for improvements.

• Maintains work flow by monitoring steps of the process; setting processing variables; observing control points and equipment; monitoring personnel and resources; studying methods; implementing cost reductions; developing reporting procedures and systems.
• Provide guidance and direction to the production floor personnel.
• Support the CI Specialist and Industrial Engineer so that projects are executed according to management principles to ensure the optimal utilization of resources and budgets.
• Develop and maintain training programs in conjunction with Human Resources to ensure that all personnel have the necessary skills to perform their duties safely and productively.
• Monitor and enforce safety policies while upholding all ISO and OSHA standards.
• Facilitate and Lead process improvement teams.
• Manage and resolve all open vendor claims while partnering with Corporate and Operations on identifying corrective costing actions.
• Create various technical documents including but not limited to job requirements, specifications, policies and procedures.
• Develop Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) and training materials.
• Create graphs, charts and other tools from data collected from operations.
• Train and fill in as a backup supervisor for line coverage.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's Degree in operations, industrial engineering or a related field is preferred.
• 1 to 5 years' experience in a production environment is preferred.
• Must be able to work on the production floor including coolers.
• Computer experience - Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or Google (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides).
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Knowledge of Kronos or other timekeeping system.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment of continuous change and challenges.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop others.
• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends according to schedule.