Process Lead

The Hershey Company

Location: Edgerton, KS

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.

Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.

The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.

How will you fit in the big picture?

The Process Lead is a skilled process improvement subject matter expert who helps advance Hershey Lean and a zero-loss culture within the plant. Working independently and in close collaboration with operators, mechanics, engineering teams, and Business Unit partners, this role analyzes and redesigns processes, strengthens service quality, and delivers practical improvements that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve operational outcomes.

What will you do?

• Drive daily problem solving and data-driven planning for the assigned Business Unit, using performance and loss data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement priorities.

• Map current-state processes, including systems, handoffs, and failure points, then design and document clear future-state workflows.

• Own and strengthen centerline and changeover Daily Management Systems, maintaining accurate loss data and advancing actions through other Daily Management Systems.

• Develop standards for line activities, including changeovers, and coach operators and mechanics to execute those standards consistently.

• Lead process efficiency improvements across production lines and monitor adoption to support successful, sustainable transitions.

• Partner with project engineers and cross-functional teams on system design and start-up, and support financial valuation for pipeline items, capital projects, and new item costing.

• Maintain accurate, accessible process documentation and update records as processes change.

Minimum Requirements

Experience: 3+ years of relevant experience in process improvement, operations, or an automated manufacturing environment. Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is preferred.

Education: Bachelor's degree preferred.

Skills: Strong leadership, communication, influencing, problem-solving, and data analysis capabilities; ability to work independently and take ownership of improvements; understanding of Lean Six Sigma tools. Experience with OSI PI, Power Apps, Power BI, and Microsoft 365 tools is preferred.

Benefits and Perks

At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.

Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health

Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match

Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable

Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $84,960 to $106,200 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training. In addition to a market-competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance-based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well-being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey’s benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well-being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.