Sr. Manager, Continuous Improvement
Ferrara Candy · Orangeburg, SC
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Base pay
- $99k–$138k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 2 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at Ferrara Candy (food & beverage) in Orangeburg, SC.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Green Belt, 5S, TPM
- Base pay
- $99k–$138k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in South Carolina: typical posted base $97k–$138k. This one lists $99k–$138k.
Median of the low and high ends of 9 live postings that list pay, out of 18 continuous improvement openings in South Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
South Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 17 other live lean / ci postings in South Carolina.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (5+ vs 2+)
Typical $97k–$143k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 2+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 72%
- ✓ Six Sigma 61%
- Value stream mapping 39%
- ✓ Green Belt 33%
- SAP 33%
- ✓ Team leadership 28%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Ferrara Candy
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from Ferrara CandyAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Experiences that will support your success
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or technical/business field
- ✓5+ years of continuous improvement experience in a manufacturing environment
- ✓2+ years of leadership experience and managing direct reports
- ✓Experience leading continuous improvement projects (Lean, TPM, Six Sigma)
- ✓Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- ✓Food manufacturing background preferred
- ✓S4 experience preferred
- ✓Formal Lean Six Sigma experience preferred
- ✓Willingness and ability to travel to our manufacturing sites, largely located in the Chicago area
Why this role is different
This isn’t about maintaining an existing operation, it’s about building, leading, and shaping a site from day one. You’ll sit at the leadership table, build a team and culture that lasts, connect local impact with enterprise strategy, and help establish a strong presence both inside the plant and in the Orangeburg community.
What We Offer
At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Benefits-Resource-Center
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Work Location: Orangeburg
Due to the highly interactive nature of this manufacturing position, in-person attendance and flexibility are essential for supporting production schedules, effective communication and collaboration, real-time problem solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives. Schedules may vary and are subject to change.
Want to make an impact?
Join us at a defining moment.
We’re building the largest food manufacturing facility in our network, a bold investment that will set new standards for scale, technology, and efficiency. This is a rare opportunity to play a critical role to build a site from the ground up, shaping the people strategy, culture, and operations that will power our future.
We’re looking for a builder. Someone who thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and brings an entrepreneurial mindset. This role requires agility, curiosity, and a hands-on approach. You’ll be solving problems in real time, building processes from scratch, and creating a high-performing, engaged workforce from day one. If you’re driven by impact, ownership, and results, this is your chance to leave a lasting mark.
The Continuous Improvement Manager drives site initiatives to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as well as deliver cost savings by building capability in manufacturing methodologies, systems, and tools. Methodologies will include but are not limited to: Environmental, Health, and Safety, Quality (Food Safety & Operational), Focused Improvement, Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Operational Reviews, Education & Training.
Ways you will make a difference
- •Deploys strategic methodologies, systems, and tools including Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Focused Improvement (SMED, Problem Solving, Green Belt/Black Belt Project) to deliver site OEE and cost savings goals
- •Drives and supports loss ideations and eradications, along with tracking projects for visibility
- •Provides tracking and regular communication to various plant functions and manufacturing leadership team regarding site performance
- •Integrates system health and project monitoring into current structure (Operational Reviews: huddles, daily, weekly, monthly) to ensure sustainability of improvements
- •Identifies and troubleshoot chronic and sporadic losses by engaging and collaborating with front line employes, supervisors, and management team. Drives losses to zero using problem solving methodologies.
- •Utilizes systems and tools to deliver reductions in unplanned stoppages, optimizing planned stoppages, and eliminating speed loss, waste & rework
- •Drives restoration to base condition of bottleneck equipment through AM and PM execution (CILs, Centerlines, Defect Identification, 5S, Visual Management)
- •Builds capability in the front-line and salaried teams to effectively plan, schedule, and execute work; install and sustain the improvements
- •Identifies and implements technology (artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital connected worker) improvements
- •Builds capability by developing and executing training for front line employees and leadership on methodologies, systems, and tools
- •Supports site implementation of AM and PM by coaching front line employees and leadership team to build their capability to lead work teams
- •Promotes a change of culture within the group/site – especially at the front-line level
- •Other duties as assigned
Skills that will make you successful
- •Excellent problem-solving skills
- •Analytically minded
- •Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization
- •Ability to plan and manage priorities
- •Ability to lead cross-functional teams across all levels of the organization
- •Ability to influence without authority
- •Building effective relationships amongst all levels of the organization
- •Being a change management agent
