Senior Manufacturing Project & Innovation Leader; Site Initiative Execution Leader

Site Initiative Execution Leader

At Danone, manufacturing the best products and supplying them to meet demand is a key driver for our plant teams. We are currently looking to hire a Site Initiative Execution Leader based in Mt. Crawford, Virginia!

The Site Initiative Execution Leader acts as the factory's single point of contact for all innovation, renovation, productivity, and sourcing projects, providing technical and industrial leadership from early feasibility through execution and post launch review. The role bridges Operations, R&I/R&D, C&P, Finance, and Engineering to ensure projects are feasible, resourced, homologated, and executed in line with factory capabilities, while driving continuous improvement, standardization, and performance optimization.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as the site Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all project stakeholders (Innovation, Renovation, Productivity, Sourcing), including iPRO, R&I/R&D, C&P, Operations, Quality, and Finance.
• Provide technical and technological expertise to assess industrial pre feasibility during the define phase for all projects.
• Assess and plan factory resources (CAPEX, OPEX), ensuring alignment with factory capabilities and homologation requirements.
• Act as factory project leader, integrating engineering and operations resources through trials, start ups, and execution phases.
• Lead and execute industrial trials for innovation, productivity, and quality projects, including industrial tests, new product start-ups, artwork, and specification validations.
• Build and deliver feasibility assessments for project briefs, industrial test requests, and R&P specification changes, ensuring optimal fit with industrial capabilities.
• Propose and support best technical and industrial recommendations to align R&P specifications with factory constraints and opportunities.
• Own and lead the factory homologation process, including local stage gate governance and compliance with homologation standards.
• Lead local duplication and simple productivity projects per RACI, ensuring learnings are captured and shared through the regional network.
• Schedule, organize, and optimize industrial testing and start up activities to minimize disruption and maximize efficiency.
• Generate and communicate project trial reports, outcomes, and key learnings to project teams and stakeholders.
• Support post launch project reviews and contribute to defining and improving execution standards.
• Identify and promote new innovation and productivity opportunities at site level.
• Conduct performance monitoring and postmortem analyses, comparing estimates versus actuals (performance, losses, manufacturing costs).
• Maintain strong understanding of the end-to-end factory value chain, particularly for materials and industrial processes
• Other duties as assigned

Physical demands include standing, walking, sitting, using hands to handle objects, tools, or controls; reaching with hands and arms; climbing stairs and ladders, balancing; stooping, kneeling or crouching; talking and hearing. Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work is performed in a manufacturing environment with exposure to moderate noise and temperature variations. Work schedules could include nights, weekends and/or holidays to provide the ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing environment as business needs dictate.

Ensure adherence to plant standards and procedures (including but not limited to GMP, AIB, FDA, IWS, Quality, Safety, Finance, ISO, HOPE, Danone Behaviors, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE). As a fundamental piece of the organization, your responsibility is to participate and own the implementation and deployment of IWS system and its pillars (Leadership foundation, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE;
Autonomous Maintenance; planned Maintenance;
Focused Improvement;
Education and Training; Environmental, Health and Safety; Quality; Organization; Supply Network; Early Equipment Management) with the objective of owning your space, owning your performance (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Mobilization, Nature) and owning your continuous improvement.

The salary range for this position is $150K - $190K per year. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate's relevant experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone U.S. additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of education, experience, and skills that enable them to excel in this position. The following qualifications outline what we're looking for, including both…