Manager Continuous Improvement
McCormick · South Bend, IN
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Lean / CI
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A management continuous improvement role at McCormick (food & beverage) in South Bend, IN.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- TPM, SMED
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Continuous Improvement roles in the US: typical posted base $105k–$150k.
Median of the low and high ends of 139 live postings that list pay, out of 361 continuous improvement openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Indiana plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 10 other live lean / ci postings in Indiana.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 8+)
Similar roles usually ask 8+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 91%
- Kaizen 64%
- Six Sigma 55%
- Root cause 55%
- ✓ Team leadership 45%
- Value stream mapping 45%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SMED, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with 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 McCormick
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?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- 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 McCormickAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
McCormick & Company, Incorporated , a global leader in flavor, is seeking a Manager of CI – 1st Shift reporting to the Plant Manager. This individual will work in South Bend, IN .
With more than $5 billion in annual sales, the Company manufactures markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry – retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. We create differentiating flavors consumers prefer with unmatched quality, science, innovation and service. Every day, no matter where or what you eat, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick. McCormick makes every moment and meal better ™
As a company recognized for exceptional commitment to employees, McCormick offers a wide variety of benefits, programs and services. Benefits include, but are not limited to, tuition assistance, medical, dental, vision, disability, group life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid holidays and vacations.
- •Under the general direction of the CI Director, provide strategic leadership and coaching for the CI/TPM function within North American high performance plants/facilities. Has overall accountability for the performance of the function within a subset of the facilities and the impact on the larger operating unit.
- •Coaches and leads team managers and/or staff to achieve exceptional business results through the development of people and continuous improvement of manufacturing and supply chain processes.
- •Coaches members of facility leadership teams and ensures that CI/TPM strategies across functions are aligned to create common objectives for all departments and achieve plant/facility goals.
- •Manage and develop direct reports as required. Manages the comprehensive continuous improvement function to deliver savings and improve business results via a formal Loss Analysis program.
- •Manages cost optimization process and productivity improvement initiatives and serves as the general spokesperson for overall program results.
- •The position may include the management of teams, committees, equipment, resources, and any other necessary tools to deploy appropriate improvement activities.
- •Coach and/or lead Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) pillar work to build loss elimination capability, such as a reduction in minor stops and changeover time via Focused Improvement pillar tools like 5-Why, 7-Step FI, and SMED.
- •Coach and/or lead Autonomous Maintenance (AM) pillar activities to improve Process Reliability and improve productivity.
Minimum of 5-10 years functional/leadership experience. Demonstrated significant and relevant skills and results in functional area The job requires a detailed understanding of how all areas of the plant interact to contribute to the business. Requires a general understanding of the industry. Requires basic commercial awareness as it relates to competition but only requires limited understanding of the latest developments in the industry.
Strong communication and diplomacy skills are required to guide and influence others. Leadership of exempt Team Managers or equivalent to achieve common objectives. May interface with external parties as representative of the plant/facility. Strong cross-functional strategic leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. Ability to translate strategy into actionable information in small or large groups in a clear, concise, and professional manner. Ability to influence upwards.
Leadership: - This job has full management responsibility for the CI team, including management of people, defining roles and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes.
As a general policy, McCormick does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.
