Meliora Cleaning Products Director of Manufacturing Operations Chicago, IL · Full time

Apply for Director of Manufacturing Operations

Hours: Full time, Salaried position. Expected workload is 40 hours per week, in person, with exact schedule TBD.

Reports to: Founder/COO

Pay range: $95,000-$105,000 plus profit sharing

Benefits: Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision), 401k with match, company profit sharing program, PTO and sick pay, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability

Duties and Responsibilities Include:

·       Establish priorities and drive accountability for production and shipping management; managers have direct reports totaling about 20 team members

·       Identify and resolve ongoing troubleshooting issues including hands-on troubleshooting of mechanical and chemical processes

·       Develop, manage, and report on KPIs for operational performance of the team

·       Understanding, creating, and documenting Standard Operating Procedures for activities such as warehousing, fulfillment, production, etc

·       Manage continuous improvement efforts, via Lean Six Sigma or similar methods: identify and eliminate bottlenecks and waste, improve operational efficiency, and expand production and shipping capabilities as needed

·       Use WMS (Unleashed), Accounting (Xero), and related systems (Gusto, Shipstation) to keep operations running smoothly and obtain data for reporting and decisionmaking

·       Lead culture of safety, efficiency and sustainability at our Chicago facility

Job Skills and Requirements

·       3+ years of mid- to upper-management at a company with frontline employees in a physical manufacturing environment

·       Ability to identify operational problems and lead efforts to make improvements

·       Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing tools such as kaizen, root cause analysis, Kanban, Value Stream Mapping (Lean Six Sigma certification is a plus) and change management

·       Demonstrated ability and willingness to learn and apply new tools

·       Proficiency in data analytics, particularly Excel

·       Exceedingly well organized, flexible and able to work in a fast-paced environment, eager to learn, detail-oriented, and focused on the success of the team/company as a whole

·       Mechanical aptitude for troubleshooting equipment (including material mixing, cutting, filling, conveyors, material handling equipment, etc)

·       Demonstrated experience or interest in sustainability and environmental impact efforts

Physical requirements:

·       Ability to safely lift and carry up to 55 lbs and team-lift heavy items for space and layout adjustments

·       Ability to independently operate freight elevator

·       Ability to navigate stairs and be standing and walking for several hours to all day

·       Capable of moving/organizing pallets using manual and electric pallet jacks

·       Fluent in written and spoken English, some conversational Spanish a plus

Company Overview: Founded in 2013, Meliora Cleaning Products is a family-owned manufacturer and distributor of people- and planet-friendly home cleaning and laundry products. Based in Chicago’s Kinzie Industrial Corridor on the near west side of the city. Our Certified B-Corporation is a leader in transparency and sustainability in the consumer cleaning products industry. Corporate certifications include Leaping Bunny, WBENC Women-Owned Small Business, Certified B-Corporation, Certified 1% for the Planet, and Certified MADESAFE products, and a member of the Great Lakes Business Network. We donate 1% of our revenues to environmental causes.

We are striving to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. We look for candidates who demonstrate a high level of multicultural competence and comfort working in an inclusive work environment. All applicants to open positions will be considered without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, sex, marital or parental status, disability, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis prohibited by law.

If interested, please email [email protected] with subject line “Director of Manufacturing Operations”.  Include a cover letter, resume and LinkedIn profile.