What’s Our Dish  

Announced in May 2018, Peapod Digital Labs (PDL) is an Ahold Delhaize USA company that powers the eCommerce and digital strategies for the Great Local Brands of Ahold Delhaize USA. Accelerating growth in digital and personalization capabilities, PDL is an innovation lab focused on meeting the changing needs of customers, regardless of when, where, and how consumers choose to shop.  

Peapod continues to be a consumer-facing eCommerce brand, and is part of Peapod Digital Labs, focused on growing Peapod sales to consumers.  

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The Senior Continuous Improvement Manager is responsible for managing the CI Team who develops and manages a prioritized ecommerce Simplicity savings roadmap across the Peapod Digital Labs network, ultimately designed to achieve targeted cost savings (3-4% OpEx reduction) and significant productivity improvements (10-20% year over year). The CI team uses a proven Lean Six Sigma fact-based analysis inclusive of financial support to quantify targets traced to the P&L with robust simplicity tracking and monitoring. The Continuous Improvement Team brings formal Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certifications and experience while utilizing proven Lean Six Sigma methodologies (e.g. DMAIC) and tools that define clear approaches of identifying non-value-added work.

This position shall perform all selection, hiring and on-boarding of qualified/certified Continual Improvement Managers into the group. He or she shall assure individual and group development, complete weekly project reviews and summarized report outs with all CI Mgrs. and shall re-adjust work assignments and allocation of resources as organizational priorities change. This position will complete on-going and periodic formal performance reviews and coaching of individuals while also celebrating milestones and results achieved by the team and across the broader organization.

Second, this role leads Operations (Warehouse, Transportation and Customer Care) through the validation of key service related issues and root causes that require strategic operating solutions across the network. The CI team will provide analysis and insights against a defined set of Micro and Macro KPIs that will help identify the right focus areas and strategic operating solutions for the CI and Operational teams to implement. There are 6 Macro KPIs that will support CI efforts and improvements:

• Tier 1(Macro): Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Experience Tracker (CET), 100% Complete Orders, team Completeness, Driver Timeliness (On time or early), No Complaints % of ordersWrong / Missing, No Complaints % of orders - Poor Quality / Damaged
• Micro: Driver Timeliness (Late Departs, Routes Ready, Stop Time, Miles Per Order (MPO), Late Severity, Late Communication Index); Complaints - Wrong / Missing: QA Wrong Item %, QA Missing Item %, % Wrong or Missing by Picker %, Wrong or Missing by Driver, Wrong Item Reported (S100)%, Missing Item Reported (S101)%, Service Credit $ Per Order; Complaints - Poor Quality/Damaged: Poor product quality, Damaged product or packaging, Out of date / expired

The CI team is also responsible for the development of new processes while maintaining a central repository/database that contains all core process documents across the Operations. Often, process documentation will be translated to job aids and training materials in partnership with Human Resources (esp. with ELMs) and Operations as a final deliverable. In addition, this role will lead the development of a continuous improvement culture at Peapod through a formalized training program utilized by Operations and other applicable business functions. Finally, this role drives a formalized Change Management process to implement changes in partnership with local Operations teams, ensuring that improved processes are effectively handed off and sustained locally with defined checkpoints that assess the overall controls established through the project charter.

What's "in-store" for the role:

• Accountable to deliver on budgeted OpEx savings each year working directly with Operations Leadership.
• -Responsible to lead and direct continuous improvement team.
• Develop, prioritize and maintain the overall Peapod Simplicity roadmap working with local facility leads (e.g.develop a working que and quantify benefits).
• Develop and utilize Operational dashboards and score cards to monitor results of CI initiatives; includes reporting available through SCI and P3.
• Support large cross functional development efforts (e.g. HSC, Tote, etc..) from design through industrialization.
• Assure adherence of CI team to Lean Six Sigma Methodology through Certified Technicians: Definition,
• Measurement, Analysis, Implementation and Control (DMAIC).
• Capable of independently facilitating scope definition and project objectives.
• Create a measurement plan using standard LSS tools.
• Build a detailed implementation plan, including any pilot/tests, go/no-go decisions.
• Lead formulation of hiring criteria and approve all hiring and on-boarding of qualified managers into the group
• Assure individual and group development offerings for CI Manager group and complete quarterly reviews of IDP progress updates
• Complete weekly project reviews with all CI Mgrs. to assure timeline and objectives are attained; readjust work assignments and allocation of resources as organizational priorities change
• Create executive report out of progress updates as received form CI team on no less than a period basis
• Perform performance reviews and coach individuals who are not meeting expectations which may include formal intervention actions
• Coordinate introduction of staff into other cross -functional areas based on project assignments within the group and through planned events/projects
• Celebrate milestones and results within team and across broader organization
• Meet with leadership teams and prioritize projects based on customer feedback, exec feedback and ops
• leadership prioritization. Assure that prioritization is driven by quantitative analysis of Macro and Micro service KPIs across operations to gain consensus on strategic operating solutions that improve service results.
  • Tier 1(Macro): Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Experience Tracker (CET), 100% Complete Orders, team Completeness, Driver Timeliness (On time or early), No Complaints % of orders- Wrong / Missing, No Complaints % of orders - Poor Quality / Damaged
  • Micro: Driver Timeliness (Late Departs, Routes Ready, Stop Time, Miles Per Order (MPO), Late Severity, Late Communication Index); Complaints - Wrong / Missing: QA Wrong Item %, QA Missing Item %, % Wrong or Missing by Picker %, Wrong or Missing by Driver, Wrong Item Reported (S100)%, Missing Item Reported (S101)%, Service Credit $ Per Order; Complaints - Poor Quality/Damaged: Poor product quality, Damaged product or packaging, Out of date / expired
• Develop solutions and recommendations; gain agreement to implement changes and monitor project results in concert with the business lead to ensure results are achieved.
• Develop central repository of standard processes as baseline for current operational processes.
• Provide inputs to Training and SOPs in support of HR Training efforts; including input for ELM development.
• Maintain the process repository through bi-annual reviews.
• Identify process Champions across the business who can serve as local functional go-to for continuous improvement ideas (e.g. practical ideas that link to Simplicity roadmap).

Key ingredients- the requirements:

• 7-10 years (Operations or Process Engineering);
• Lean Certified Six Sigma Black Blet
• Bachelor's degree (Industrial Engineering); MBA preferred
• Strategic planning
• Managerial Influence
• Process development
• Executive presentation building capabilities
• Customer focus
• Initiative and attention to detail
• Executive level Impact and Influence
• Experience working with cross-functional teams
• Solid understanding of supply chain models
• Highly motivated, independent thinker
• Highly organized & planner
• Strong financial, quantitative and analytical abilities
• Systems oriented; Understanding of database applications
• Strong Initiative
• Attention to detail

Join Us at Our Table  

Peapod Digital Labs is a forward-thinking company with a strong legacy of innovation. We recognize who powers our progress – our people! We offer a great variety of benefits and perks to our employees, including: great health care options, including PPO and HSA plans (with company contributions), dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, a 401k with strong company match and immediate vesting, and generous and flexible paid time off. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. We comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to sex, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, marital status (including civil unions), military service, veteran status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, legally recognized disability, domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by law.