Operations Excellence Engineer

In 2014, while trying to find the perfect dessert to go with dinner, French pastry chef Maxime realized something was missing in his local grocery store:
Pot de crème! As a fan of all things sweet, Maxime decided to address this craving by founding Petit Pot in San Francisco to bring not only pot de crème but a portfolio of delicious desserts to satisfy any American sweet tooth. He combined his knowledge of traditional French pastries with modern California culinary flourishes to produce authentic French desserts the way they’re meant to be enjoyed: with a smile!

Eight years later, Petit Pot is now the fastest-growing brand of premium, organic refrigerated desserts in the U.S. Its pot de crème, riz au lait and plant-based desserts are made with fresh, simple and organic ingredients that are perfectly portioned in petite glass jars. Based in Emeryville, California, the company produces and markets products at major brick & mortar and e-commerce retailers across the U.S., including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Publix, Costco, Amazon Fresh and Imperfect Foods.

Location:

San Francisco, CA | Salary: $90,000.00-$

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POSITION SUMMARY

Petit Pot is expanding its operational capabilities and is seeking an Operations Excellence Engineer to support the growth, structure, and maturity of our manufacturing plant. This role strengthens plant-wide safety, process discipline, project management, and continuous improvement, without duplicating or replacing the responsibilities of Production, Maintenance, QA, R&D, or S&OP managers. You will work cross-functionally to make the plant safer, more efficient, and more structured.

You will lead improvement projects, reinforce safety programs, develop standards, and help build the systems the plant needs as Petit Pot scales.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Plant Safety & Environmental Programs

• Own the day-to-day safety program on the plant floor.
• Conduct audits, risk assessments, incident investigations, and safety observations.
• Leads and supports Safety initiatives within the plant.
• Strengthen PPE compliance, LOTO discipline, and equipment safety expectations.
• Create and update safety training materials and SOPs.
• Track and support environmental requirements (waste, water, energy, recycling).

2. Operational Excellence & Standardization

• Develop clear and practical SOPs, work instructions, and standardized processes.
• Coach and Implement Lean tools (5S, Kaizen, RCA, DMAIC) across teams.
• Lead root-cause analysis on safety, quality, or performance issues.
• Support Production & QA in developing robust process controls and capability metrics.
• Build KPI dashboards and performance-tracking tools for plant leadership.

3. Cross-Functional Project Management

• Lead projects related to efficiency, cost reduction, safety upgrades, and process improvements.
• Support new equipment installations, process trials, and industrialization of new products.
• Create project plans, timelines, and risk assessments, and ensure follow-through.
• Provide structured updates to the Operations Director and project stakeholders.

4. Team Capability Building

• Coach leaders, supervisors, and operators on problem-solving methodologies.
• Facilitate training sessions on process basics, safety requirements, and CI tools.
• Support the creation of a disciplined, structured production organization.
• Promote collaboration between Production, Maintenance, QA, R&D, and S&OP.

What You Bring

• Strong continuous improvement mindset and analytical skills.
• Experience in food manufacturing or regulated CPG environments.
• Ability to balance entrepreneurial agility with structured methods.
• Excellent communication and change management skills.
• Comfort leading initiatives without formal managerial authority.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 5+ years in Operations, Process Engineering, CI, or Safety in food manufacturing or CPG.
• Experience with process improvements, safety programs, or KPI systems.
• Hands-on use of Lean or Six Sigma tools (certification preferred).
• Ability to train teams and drive adoption of procedures and best practices.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional projects.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & WORKING…