Full-Time

Manager – Plant Operational Excellence

Posted on 10/31/2025

The Campbell's Company

The Campbell's Company

5,001-10,000 employees

Global producer of soups, snacks

Compensation Overview

$110.6k - $159k/yr

+ Total pay may include other forms of compensation + health + dental + 401k + wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment

Rockford, IL, USA

In Person

Category
Operations & Logistics (3)
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Requirements
  • High School Degree or GED
  • 2 years’ experience with Operational Excellence, Lean, Six Sigma fundamentals
  • 2 years’ experience working in a manufacturing environment
  • 1 year people management experience
Responsibilities
  • OpEx Leadership: Lead & coach OPEX teams to drive improvements across the Balance Scorecard. Lead Kaizen events to drive improvements and reduce losses. Support the deployment of all WCM pillars within the site.
  • Diagnostics: Conduct diagnostics on the Operating System (OS), Management Infrastructure (MI), Mindset, Behaviors & Capabilities (MBC) and Industry 4.0 for identified systems/lines through data analysis, floor observations, process monitoring, and employee interviews.
  • Implementation Plans: Coach OPEX team to develop tactical implementation plans (TIPs) to drive system improvements across identified Workstreams. Ensure tactical implementation plans are adhered to and regular stakeholder check-ins occur throughout the process to ensure program sustainability and track progress.
  • Capability Building: Work with the site leadership team to plan and build the appropriate OPEX capability. Leverage pull-forward strategy prior to OPEX team execution to ensure subsequent waves of OPEX teams have the appropriate skills & capabilities for further deployment. Execute OPEX capability training sessions for the site leadership team, front line leadership team, and frontline employees. Will be the site's lead trainer for all continuous improvement tools.
  • Cost Management: Ensure improvements identified in OPEX team charters are rolled into the plant enabler program to capture enabler savings. Track OPEX team performance to ensure improvements are sustained, and long-term countermeasures are tracked and implemented. Will execute Zero Loss analysis to identify loss opportunities and build the enabler pipeline.
  • Stakeholder Influence: Coach and work collaboratively to influence stakeholders to effect change throughout an organization by leading through others.
  • Program Management: Manage and oversee various programs related to operational excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Strategic Deployment: Responsible for deploying the Campbell’s Operational Excellence strategy to drive Supply Chain performance to world-class levels.
  • Tactical Direction: Providing direction in the development and implementation of tactical objectives to drive improvements across the plant.
  • Expertise and Advisory: Serving as the internal organizational expert and advisor, with in-depth expertise in their own discipline and broad knowledge of other disciplines within the function.
  • Anticipating Challenges: Anticipating internal and external business challenges and regulatory issues, recommending process, product, or service improvements.
  • Problem Solving: Solving unique and complex problems that have a broad impact on the business, contributing to the development of functional strategy.
  • Operational Latitude: Operating with broad latitude in a complex environment, leading and contributing to the development of company plant objectives and principles to achieve goals creatively and effectively.
  • Leadership: Directing the activities of others, guiding teams to implement Operational Excellence initiatives.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborating with various departments to ensure alignment and support for OpEx initiatives.
  • Performance Metrics: Monitoring and analyzing performance metrics to drive continuous improvement and achieve organizational goals.
  • Innovation: Driving innovation in operational practices to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring all OpEx activities comply with relevant regulations and standards.
  • Training and Development: Providing training and development opportunities to enhance the skills and capabilities of the team.
  • Change Management: Leading change initiatives and overcoming resistance to organizational change, influencing employees to embrace new practices.
Desired Qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Working knowledge in concepts of Operational Excellence, Lean Manufacturing and Asset Care & Reliability.
  • Knowledge and previous experience in improving organizational capability through learning and development programs, and/or High-Performance Work Systems.
  • Cross-functional manufacturing experience with a strong understanding of OPEX, Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, Visual Factory, 5S.
  • Continuous Improvement certifications such as Lean or Lean Six Sigma.
  • Experience with leading / executing the elements Operational Excellence and organizational learning and development in a manufacturing environment.
  • Demonstrated success in driving change and influencing stakeholders at all levels without direct authority, through effective communication and relationship-building.
  • Strong track record of collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals and drive operational excellence initiatives
  • Proven ability to analyze complex data sets to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
  • MS Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, SAP
  • Excellent leadership skills, compelling communication skills, and the ability to inspire, engage and motivate.
The Campbell's Company

The Campbell's Company

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Campbell Soup Company makes packaged foods across two segments: Meals & Beverages and Snacks. Meals & Beverages sells soups, simple meals, and beverages under brands such as Campbell's, Swanson, Prego, V8, and Pacific Foods to retailers and foodservice customers in the U.S., Canada, and nearby markets. Snacks includes Pepperidge Farm and Snyder’s-Lance brands, offering crackers, cookies, pretzels, and other snacks under Pepperidge Farm, Snyder’s of Hanover, Lance, and Kettle Brand, with products in North America and Latin America. The company distributes through supermarkets, mass merchandisers, club stores, and foodservice channels, and aims to grow by offering a broad range of convenient, trusted foods to households and foodservice customers worldwide.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Camden, New Jersey

Founded

1869

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • High trial-to-repeat conversion rates suggest periodic discounting unlocks household penetration gains.
  • Vertical integration of Rao's production reduces supply chain risk and protects margins.
  • Joshua Levine's food industry expertise strengthens investor communication during turnaround execution.

What critics are saying

  • Snacks segment declined 9.2% in Q2 2026, signaling persistent structural category headwinds.
  • Rao's faces entrenched price resistance above $7.60, forcing margin-eroding discounts.
  • Limited pricing power forces Campbell's to choose between volume loss or margin compression.

What makes The Campbell's Company unique

  • Rao's brand surpassed $1 billion sales with 14.5% consumption growth in Q2 2026.
  • May 2026 La Regina acquisition secures direct control of Italian production facilities.
  • Meals & Beverages segment met analyst expectations despite overall company headwinds.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Company Match

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Paid Vacation

Hybrid Work Options

Wellness Program

Professional Development Budget

Mental Health Support

Company Equity

Company News

Yahoo Finance
Mar 28th, 2026
Campbell's rallies 5% ahead of $0.39 dividend payout despite Q2 earnings dip

Campbell's Company rallied 4.96% on Friday to close at $21.99 per share, as investors bought shares ahead of the dividend payment deadline. The company will pay dividends of $0.39 per share to shareholders of record as of 2nd April, payable on 4th May 2026. This marks Campbell's second dividend payment in 2026, following an identical distribution in February. The announcement came after the company reported a 16% drop in attributable net income to $145 million for Q2 fiscal year 2026, with net sales declining 4.5% to $2.56 billion due to lower volume and mix. Campbell's is also executing a share repurchase programme with $473 million remaining unspent across two authorised buyback initiatives.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 25th, 2026
Campbell's $2.7B Rao's buy drives growth with discounts to overcome $7.60 price barrier

Campbell's is working to expand awareness of its $1 billion Rao's Homemade sauce brand, which posted 14.5% consumption growth in its most recent quarter. Despite strong sales, consumer awareness and household penetration trail mainstream brands like Campbell's own Prego. Rao's, acquired by Campbell's in 2024 as part of a $2.7 billion Sovos Brands purchase, commands an £8 price tag by emphasising premium ingredients including tomatoes from Mt. Vesuvius and Italian olive oil. Sales have surged over 450% in seven years as consumers seek restaurant-quality meals at home. Campbell's is addressing price resistance through periodic discounts and increased advertising to demonstrate value. The company found that shoppers who try Rao's typically become repeat customers, making trial conversion key to future growth.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 19th, 2026
Cramer slams Campbell's as stock yields 7.4% after 'worst quarter in ages

Jim Cramer expressed bearish views on Campbell's Company (NASDAQ: CPB), noting the stock now yields 7.4% with little investor interest. He described the company's latest quarterly results as "one of the worst quarters I've seen in ages", with revenues falling 5% and organic sales dropping 3%. Campbell's, which produces soups, sauces and snacks through brands including Pepperidge Farm and Goldfish, saw particularly poor performance in its snacks division. The stock hit a 17-year low, raising concerns about dividend coverage. Cramer criticised management's optimistic stance during the conference call, suggesting the food group may need radical changes. Recent bright spots, such as the Rao's pasta sauce acquisition, were offset by weakness in the Prego brand.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 14th, 2026
Piper Sandler cuts Campbell's price target to $28 on retail volume pressure

Piper Sandler has lowered its price target on Campbell's Company (CPB) to $28 from $34, maintaining a Neutral rating. The firm cited challenging operating conditions, with retail volumes under pressure that may force the company to adjust pricing or increase brand spending. Piper Sandler expects Campbell's upcoming quarter to align with consensus estimates, projecting earnings of 57 cents per share and revenue of approximately $2.6 billion. The firm noted that current stock weakness may already reflect some of these concerns. Separately, Campbell's announced on 13 March the appointment of Joshua Levine as Chief Investor Relations Officer, effective 18 March. Levine will replace Rebecca Gardy, who is retiring after six years in the role.

Business Wire
Mar 13th, 2026
Campbell's appoints Joshua Levine chief investor relations officer

Campbell's Company has appointed Joshua Levine as Chief Investor Relations Officer, effective 18 March 2026. He will report to Chief Financial Officer Todd Cunfer and succeed Rebecca Gardy, who is retiring after six years. Levine brings extensive investor relations experience from the food industry. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasury at Simply Good Foods. Previously, he held the same role at Sovos Brands until Campbell's acquired it in 2024. Earlier in his career, he worked as a buyside investment analyst and covered the food industry at J.P. Morgan. During her tenure, Gardy strengthened Campbell's engagement with the investment community and played a key role in the company's listing transfer to NASDAQ.

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