Operations Continuous Improvement Specialist

About the role:

Our Supply Chain team play a huge part in our purpose of feeding the South. Every day, they keep product moving across the South Island. The Operations Continuous Improvement Specialist supports our Supply Chain by making sure the operational teams have processes, systems and ways of working in place to operate safely, efficiently and consistently.

Reporting to the Operations Continuous Improvement Lead, you'll work closely with leaders and teams across our distribution centers and transport operations to identify opportunities for improvement. You’ll use your knowledge of Supply Chain operations alongside your problem solving and analytical skills to come up with creative solutions to embed better ways of working.  

This is a hands-on role based at our Distribution Centre in Hornby. You’ll observe how work gets done, talk with the teams to understand what challenges they might be facing and what outcomes are (or aren’t) being produced. From there, you’ll use that information as your base to design and implement improvements – whether that be developing documentation, facilitating workshops, training users or pulling together a business case to gain support for change.  

About you:

You've got an eye for spotting the small details, things that might not yet be perceived as an issue or may be overlooked, but you can see room for improvement. You’re curious and inquisitive and enjoy digging into the root cause and finding smarter ways to get things done. It might be a small  tweak, a re-design or a brand new idea.  

You use your operational knowledge with critical thinking and problem solving to come up with practical solutions. Most importantly, you are passionate about continuous improvement and motivated by making things work better.  

You enjoy engaging with people, building relationships, listening to perspectives, and bringing people along for the journey. You're a team player and open to feedback from your team, whilst being collaborative and working with the end users to make your idea work even better than you had imagined. 

You'll also bring:  
 

• Experience in Supply Chain operations and systems (SAP, EWN, TM – highly regarded) 
• Confidence to challenge existing ways of working, whilst remaining open to the ideas and perspectives of others  
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to understand and translate technical information to a variety of audiences  
• The ability to influence at all levels as well as train, coach and support users through change  
• A collaborative approach and genuine enjoyment working with others including front line teams  
• A naturally inquisitive mindset with strong critical thinking and investigative skills

 

Don't tick every box? We'd still love to hear from you. 

We encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for individuals with diverse experiences and are keen to hear from those who believe they have the drive and potential to succeed in this role. 

Why join us?

• We’re committed to equitable outcomes, and we offer additional paid parental leave, free period products and financial health checks to name a few.  
• We support your wellbeing with Southern Cross health insurance for you and your family after a qualifying period, discounts at local gyms, access to online wellbeing tools, and a prayer and privacy room onsite.  
• We offer continuous learning and professional growth, as well as access to our extensive online training library and endless opportunities.  
• We’re proud of our supportive team environment, and our positive and friendly culture that’s made fun by regular social events!  
• We’re a Pride Pledge organisation, and we are committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone thrives, every day and we celebrate our diversity as strength.  
• Our Hornby site has free carparking and in-house café.  

How to apply:

Ready to take on the challenge? Click “apply” to apply for the role! Applications will close 11:59pm Thursday 29 October and will only be accepted via our careers site. 

If you have any questions about the role, or experience any issues submitting your application, please email careers@foodstuffs-si.co.nz  

About us:

We’re a team of 14,000 who make sure South Islanders have access to the groceries and essentials they need. Proudly 100% Kiwi-owned and operated, our co-operative has more than 200 PAK’nSAVE, New World, Four Square and On the Spot stores feeding the South Island.

We value being at the heart of our communities, like we’ve always been, to make the South Island a better place – for today and for many generations to come. From sunny Golden Bay all the way to Stewart Island, there’s a Foodstuffs store serving you and your whānau.   

Our success is down to our people who bring their skills, experience, passion, and expertise to make Foodies an amazing and rewarding place to work. Our co-op has a wide variety of roles to offer, and endless opportunities for development.  

Our values:

At Foodies, together we drive success to be our best and care for our whānau. We recognise that it takes a collective effort to achieve success, and we thrive on fostering a culture of collaboration to drive innovation and embracing challenges as a united team. We are committed to supporting our people, and to positively impact the lives of South Islanders every day.