Softgel Project and Process Improvement Manager (52250)

**Please no external recruiters**

Founded in 1984, Best Formulations LLC, a diversified nutraceutical and personal care company headquartered in City of Industry, California, is a contract manufacturer of thousands of branded SKUs, including high quality nutritional supplements including softgels, tablets, capsules, powders, teas, dietary supplements, and vegetarian softgels.

About the role:

We are a trusted partner to our customers when it comes to innovation and have one of the strongest R&D, product formulation and technical teams in the industry. We are recognized as the leader in plant-based softgel innovation and our ability to encapsulate difficult formulas. We seek out innovation across our entire business and pass that knowledge and expertise to our customers.

As a Softgel Project and Process Improvement Manager, will be a strategic and operational leadership role responsible for daily oversight of softgel manufacturing while driving transformational initiatives in lean manufacturing, cost reduction, and productivity. This position leads efforts to optimize OEE, reduce waste, implement innovative technologies, and execute cross-functional projects that improve quality, compliance, and throughput. The role works closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D, and senior leadership to deliver measurable business outcomes while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

How will you contribute:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. Essential job functions and duties include, but are not limited to:

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT LEADERSHIP:

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and 5S principles to systematically eliminate waste, increase value-added activity, and improve process flow across the softgel operation.
• Lead and mentor teams to deliver quantifiable cost savings initiatives, targeting yield improvement, scrap reduction, cycle time reduction, and productivity gains.
• Analyze and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by driving equipment optimization, changeover reduction, and root cause elimination of unplanned downtime.
• Introduce and pilot innovative technologies (automation, inline monitoring, digital dashboards, smart sensors) that enhance operational visibility and control.
• Use structured problem-solving methods (DMAIC, A3, Fishbone, 5 Whys) to address recurring quality or efficiency challenges.
• Plan and execute cross-functional projects including layout redesigns, capacity expansion, process automation, and compliance upgrades.
• Develop project charters, resource plans, and implementation timelines while managing budget adherence and risk mitigation.
• Integrate project initiatives into daily operations to ensure sustained value delivery post-implementation.

SOFTGEL MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS:

• Provide day-to-day support as required to the Softgel Production Manager, assistant managers, supervisors, leads, and operators, maintaining efficient execution of production targets.
• Troubleshoot equipment, formulation, and workflow issues to ensure minimal downtime and quality deviation.
• Drive accountability for production KPIs such as OEE, Downtime, RFT, Yield, Schedule Adherence, and Labor Efficiency.