Continuous Improvement Lead
PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, Cranston, RI, United States
Overview
We are the game changers, innovators, collaborators, who “DareToLevel Up” the Status Quo. We are the ground breakers of the Supply Chain & Logistics space.
We spread across 200 countries and territories and are united by a shared set of values and goals. You know our name through our amazing portfolio, including Pepsi, FritoLay, Quaker, and Gatorade.
We WIN with a purpose. We dream globally and act locally, constantly innovating to sustain our planet, our people, our communities, and our business practices. Together, we raise the bar in lean manufacturing practices. We put forth new standards and stretch to reach beyond the goals we set. We are a think tank, bringing our ideas into action and are determined to find ways to drive efficiencies, improve processes and achieve the highest level of safety…all while meeting the demands of our customers and consumers to deliver the best products.
At PepsiCo, we are committed to performing as individuals and in teams to strengthen the company. Are you hungry to be a part of the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands?
Now is the time to explore the opportunities of PepsiCo: What makes you unique makes us better!
The Continuous Improvement Lead is a key operational leader responsible for making Run-To-Target (RTT) a core way of working across plant operations. RTT is PepsiCo’s continuous improvement system that blends coaching, standard work, and loss elimination to drive sustainable performance. In this role, you will own the deployment, sustainment, and evolution of RTT—ensuring it is fully embedded into the Integrated Work System (IWS), frontline routines, and leadership behaviors.
This is a high‑visibility, high‑impact role that strengthens operational capability, builds accountability, and shapes plant culture. The Continuous Improvement Lead partners closely with the Plant Director, plant leadership teams, Pod RTT Lead, and frontline teams to deliver today’s results while building tomorrow’s capability. This role is also a strong development feeder for future Plant Director opportunities.
RTT Deployment & Sustainment
Lead the end‑to‑end deployment, expansion, and ongoing sustainment of RTT across the plant
Embed RTT into daily, weekly, and monthly operating routines (Line Structure Teams, Shift DDS, Plant DDS)
Maintain RTT processes within the IWS framework to ensure rigor, consistency, and effectiveness
Operational Excellence & Accountability
Partner with the Plant Director to drive disciplined execution of RTT processes
Establish clear ownership for RTT behaviors and outcomes across leadership and frontline teams
Identify execution gaps and coach teams to close performance and capability gaps
Capability Building & Coaching
Build RTT capability across frontline team members, team leaders, and plant leadership
Coach teams to use data, standards, and structured problem‑solving to eliminate losses
Ensure frontline voices are activated through structured forums and routines
Culture & Ways of Working
Model and reinforce a culture of continuous improvement, ownership, and transparency
Establish and sustain “one best way” RTT execution within the plant
Partner with the Pod RTT Lead to ensure alignment across the pod and national network
Program Evolution & Enterprise Alignment
Lead ongoing refinement of RTT to improve effectiveness, simplicity, and scalability
Share learnings and best practices across plants
Support enterprise efforts to standardize RTT nationally
Compensation and Benefits
The expected compensation range for this position is between $73,400 - $122,850.
Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 8% of annual salary paid out annually.
Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.
Qualifications
3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment
Strong understanding of safety, quality, and operational standards
Ability to lead and influence without formal authority
Strong communication, organization, and problem‑solving skills
Willingness to take accountability for shift or line performance
Experience as a lead operator, team lead, or similar frontline leadership role
Experience with daily management systems (DDS, tier meetings, etc.)
Knowledge of continuous improvement, IWS, or Lean concepts
Demonstrated coaching ability and skill in giving actionable feedback
Preferred
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical Engineering, or related field
Experience in manufacturing, operations, process improvement, or operational excellence
Strong understanding of production processes and performance metrics
Experience in beverage, food, or CPG manufacturing
Bottling, canning, or BIB line experience
Technical or engineering background
Indefinite right to work in the U.S. and a valid driver’s license
Leadership & People Skills
Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive change
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
Skilled in coaching, facilitation, and team‑based decision making
Ability to give and receive constructive feedback that leads to measurable improvement
EEO Statement Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity / Age
If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.
Please view our Pay Transparency Statement.
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We spread across 200 countries and territories and are united by a shared set of values and goals. You know our name through our amazing portfolio, including Pepsi, FritoLay, Quaker, and Gatorade.
We WIN with a purpose. We dream globally and act locally, constantly innovating to sustain our planet, our people, our communities, and our business practices. Together, we raise the bar in lean manufacturing practices. We put forth new standards and stretch to reach beyond the goals we set. We are a think tank, bringing our ideas into action and are determined to find ways to drive efficiencies, improve processes and achieve the highest level of safety…all while meeting the demands of our customers and consumers to deliver the best products.
At PepsiCo, we are committed to performing as individuals and in teams to strengthen the company. Are you hungry to be a part of the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands?
Now is the time to explore the opportunities of PepsiCo: What makes you unique makes us better!
The Continuous Improvement Lead is a key operational leader responsible for making Run-To-Target (RTT) a core way of working across plant operations. RTT is PepsiCo’s continuous improvement system that blends coaching, standard work, and loss elimination to drive sustainable performance. In this role, you will own the deployment, sustainment, and evolution of RTT—ensuring it is fully embedded into the Integrated Work System (IWS), frontline routines, and leadership behaviors.
This is a high‑visibility, high‑impact role that strengthens operational capability, builds accountability, and shapes plant culture. The Continuous Improvement Lead partners closely with the Plant Director, plant leadership teams, Pod RTT Lead, and frontline teams to deliver today’s results while building tomorrow’s capability. This role is also a strong development feeder for future Plant Director opportunities.
RTT Deployment & Sustainment
Lead the end‑to‑end deployment, expansion, and ongoing sustainment of RTT across the plant
Embed RTT into daily, weekly, and monthly operating routines (Line Structure Teams, Shift DDS, Plant DDS)
Maintain RTT processes within the IWS framework to ensure rigor, consistency, and effectiveness
Operational Excellence & Accountability
Partner with the Plant Director to drive disciplined execution of RTT processes
Establish clear ownership for RTT behaviors and outcomes across leadership and frontline teams
Identify execution gaps and coach teams to close performance and capability gaps
Capability Building & Coaching
Build RTT capability across frontline team members, team leaders, and plant leadership
Coach teams to use data, standards, and structured problem‑solving to eliminate losses
Ensure frontline voices are activated through structured forums and routines
Culture & Ways of Working
Model and reinforce a culture of continuous improvement, ownership, and transparency
Establish and sustain “one best way” RTT execution within the plant
Partner with the Pod RTT Lead to ensure alignment across the pod and national network
Program Evolution & Enterprise Alignment
Lead ongoing refinement of RTT to improve effectiveness, simplicity, and scalability
Share learnings and best practices across plants
Support enterprise efforts to standardize RTT nationally
Compensation and Benefits
The expected compensation range for this position is between $73,400 - $122,850.
Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 8% of annual salary paid out annually.
Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.
Qualifications
3+ years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment
Strong understanding of safety, quality, and operational standards
Ability to lead and influence without formal authority
Strong communication, organization, and problem‑solving skills
Willingness to take accountability for shift or line performance
Experience as a lead operator, team lead, or similar frontline leadership role
Experience with daily management systems (DDS, tier meetings, etc.)
Knowledge of continuous improvement, IWS, or Lean concepts
Demonstrated coaching ability and skill in giving actionable feedback
Preferred
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical Engineering, or related field
Experience in manufacturing, operations, process improvement, or operational excellence
Strong understanding of production processes and performance metrics
Experience in beverage, food, or CPG manufacturing
Bottling, canning, or BIB line experience
Technical or engineering background
Indefinite right to work in the U.S. and a valid driver’s license
Leadership & People Skills
Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive change
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
Skilled in coaching, facilitation, and team‑based decision making
Ability to give and receive constructive feedback that leads to measurable improvement
EEO Statement Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity / Age
If you’d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.
Please view our Pay Transparency Statement.
#J-18808-Ljbffr