Home Chef is building new ways to provide meal solutions that meet a wide variety of customer needs, and shipping locations both online and in store. Our team is a unique mix of creators, chefs, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers and we’re growing quickly. Our customer-first mentality, combined with a zest for supporting our peers, helped us bring home Built in Chicago’s Startup of the Year Moxie award in 2017. If you’re ready to be part of the action, we’re ready to connect with you. There are no limits to where we can go together.

Sometimes referred to as Home Chef’s operations “SWAT” team, the operational excellence team works on cross-functional initiatives that support the future state of Home Chef operations. Our projects evolve based on the growth and expansion of the business – no two days are the same – but we’re always focused on execution and driving towards positive impact. We pride ourselves on being great problem solvers, thought partners, and go-getters.

The Operational Excellence Analyst will be expected to wear several hats and will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. Although different projects will require different skill sets, the high-level responsibilities and expectations for this role are outlined below:

Tool Development & Tech Enablement

• Operator Technology dashboard tracking the utilization, ROI, and future business case of our technology investments
• Partner with our plant teams to develop, manage, and continually improve tools used on the floor at our production facilities (may include travel to plants in ATL, CHI, LA) 
• Understand challenges in the current technology landscape and work with production management and front-line employees to develop potential solutions
• Examples of past projects include: creating a production scheduling tool to optimize workforce planning, creating dashboards to monitor daily and weekly KPIs such as efficiency, labor hours, error rates

Data Analytics:

• Develop models and methodologies to monitor the success of multiple facets of the business (facility capacity, machinery usage, labor, production, etc.)
• Find innovative ways to make data actionable for our production teams - build processes to better collect, store, and visualize operational data in a meaningful and impactful way
• Enable data-driven decision making by reporting / analyzing our core KPIs and performing ad-hoc analyses
• Examples of past projects include: performing analysis for our produce SWAT team initiative, such as a deep-dive analysis into top produce quality errors and identification of root cause issues

Training & People Support:

• Partner with our continuous improvement team to prioritize and implement process improvement, facilitate change management, and identify gaps 
• Partner with our HR teams to establish plant-focused programs related to performance management, professional development, and employee recognition & retention
• Examples of past projects include: leading and organizing continuous improvement routine between all plants, creating training programs on key metrics and processes, establishing new rates and SOPs when we rollout new products

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or other characteristics needed for this role.

• Entrepreneurial mindset: energetic and able to lead change, create vision, and inspire people to achieve goals in a fast-paced environment
• Problem solver: Identify issues quickly and bring recommended solutions backed by logic to the discussion
• Interpersonal savvy: Develop rapport across the organization in order to build consensus for implementing new processes and tools
• Results oriented: Deal with ambiguity and make timely decisions to get to impact quickly
• Attention to detail: Organizational skills and ability to manage the details of complex systems and operational processes
• Embody the Home Chef core values of customer first, pursuing excellence, taking ownership, and building a best-in-class team
• 1+ years work experience in operations, management consulting, or data analysis role; top-ranked candidates strongly preferred
• Technical ability: While experience using data analysis programs (e.g. Excel and Google Business Apps) are a must, experience using SQL, Python, and/or JavaScript highly desired
• Comfortable working in a manufacturing environment.
• Travel to our production facilities in Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles may be required as part of this position (up to ~20% travel)

Perks/Benefits:

- Direct access to senior management – our leadership team works alongside our team members every day

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance – benefits start the 1st day of the month following your start date 

- Company paid life insurance, short term disability and long term disability

- Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses

- 401k program

- Flexible paid time off (PTO) policy, plus sick days 

- Quarterly company-wide “Town Hall” meetings 

- Ongoing professional development opportunities by level and function

- Your choice of Windows or Mac laptop

- Onsite gym 

- Free water taxi for Wrigley Building employees (seasonal) 

- Catered lunch every Friday plus snacks and beverages on hand every day

- Employee discounts through Perkspot

- Discounts on Home Chef meal kits and at Kroger stores

- Casual dress in a fun, friendly and collaborative work environment

Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!

Home Chef is an equal employment opportunity employer