Continuous Improvement Specialist
Location: ECBVerdyol Plants — Blumenort, MB; Riverton, MB; Kansas, USA Position Type: 18-month term, with potential to become permanent full-time Travel Required: Yes, between all three plant locations Passport Requirement: Valid passport with ability to travel to the United States
About ECBVerdyol
ECBVerdyol is a growing erosion control manufacturing company focused on developing, producing, and commercializing innovative products for environmental restoration, erosion control, hydroseeding, revegetation, and sustainable infrastructure markets. With manufacturing operations in Manitoba and Kansas, we are expanding our production capabilities and improving how our plants operate as we continue to grow across Canada, the United States, and international markets.
We are seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to help improve working conditions, manufacturing efficiency, training systems, and plant-level processes across our three production facilities.
Position Summary
The Continuous Improvement Specialist will support operational improvement across ECBVerdyol’s three manufacturing plants: Blumenort, Riverton, and Kansas. The primary focus of the role will be identifying, documenting, and implementing process improvements that improve safety, workflow, dust control, production efficiency, employee training, and overall plant performance.
The ideal candidate will either have experience with Lean manufacturing, 5S, process mapping, root-cause analysis, continuous improvement, or workplace optimization, or be highly motivated and capable of learning Lean methodology through training.
This position will be approximately 70% focused on plant-level continuous improvement and 30% focused on assisting the R&D team with product trials, process trials, documentation, and experimental work.
Key Responsibilities
Continuous Improvement and Plant Support — 70%
Work directly with plant managers, production staff, leadership, and R&D to identify improvement opportunities at each facility.
Blumenort Plant Focus
The Blumenort facility will focus heavily on:
- Dust control improvements
- Manufacturing process improvement
- Workflow optimization
- Equipment layout and material movement improvements
- Employee working conditions
- Production documentation and standard operating procedures
- Identifying bottlenecks in manufacturing processes
- Supporting cleaner, safer, and more efficient production practices
Riverton Plant Focus
The Riverton facility will focus on:
- Manufacturing process improvement
- Production workflow review
- Equipment operation improvements
- Material handling efficiency
- Blanket and fiber production process optimization
- Supporting continuous improvement projects related to new and existing product lines
- Assisting with documentation of process changes and improvements
Kansas Plant Focus
The Kansas facility will focus on:
- Manufacturing process improvement
- Employee training systems
- Standard operating procedure development
- Knowledge transfer between Canadian and U.S. operations
- Production workflow review
- Supporting consistent manufacturing practices across locations
- Helping align Kansas operations with ECBVerdyol’s broader production standards
R&D Project Support — 30%
Assist the R&D team with product development, testing, documentation, and field or plant-based trials.
Responsibilities may include:
- Assisting with new product trials
- Supporting process trials for mulch, erosion control blankets, wattles, and related products
- Helping collect and organize experimental data
- Assisting with trial setup, production testing, and field testing
- Documenting observations, results, and process changes
- Supporting grant-related project documentation when required
- Helping bridge R&D findings into practical plant-level implementation
Qualifications
Required
- Strong interest in manufacturing improvement, operations, production systems, or workplace optimization
- Valid passport and ability to travel to the United States
- Ability to travel between Blumenort, Riverton, and Kansas facilities
- Strong communication and documentation skills
- Ability to work directly with production staff, managers, and technical teams
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Comfortable working in manufacturing environments
- Ability to observe processes, identify issues, and recommend practical improvements
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Willingness to learn Lean methodology if not already trained
Preferred
- Lean manufacturing training or certification
- Experience with 5S, Kaizen, process mapping, root-cause analysis, standard work, or continuous improvement systems
- Experience in manufacturing, agriculture, construction materials, erosion control, textiles, fiber processing, or related industries
- Experience writing SOPs, training documents, or work instructions
- Experience supporting safety, dust control, or workplace improvement initiatives
- Experience with data collection, process trials, or R&D support
Skills and Attributes
The successful candidate will be:
- Practical and hands-on
- Comfortable working on the production floor
- Curious and willing to ask questions
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong at turning observations into clear action items
- Comfortable learning new production processes
- Focused on safety, efficiency, and employee working conditions
- Able to build trust with plant staff
- Interested in both manufacturing improvement and product innovation
Term and Growth Opportunity
This is an 18-month term position created to support ECBVerdyol’s continued growth and plant improvement initiatives. There is potential for this role to become a permanent full-time position based on company needs, project success, and long-term fit.
Why Join ECBVerdyol?
This is an opportunity to help shape how a growing manufacturing company improves, standardizes, and scales its operations. The successful candidate will have a direct impact on working conditions, production efficiency, employee training, product development, and the long-term success of three manufacturing facilities.
You will work across operations, production, and R&D, gaining hands-on experience in continuous improvement while helping build better systems for a growing company.
How to Apply
Interested applicants are invited to submit a resume and cover letter outlining their experience, interest in continuous improvement, and ability to travel between Canadian and U.S. plant locations.
Job Type: 18-month term, potential for permanent full-time
Location: Manitoba and Kansas plant operations
Travel: Required
Passport: Valid passport required for U.S. travel
Pay: $22.00-$26.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Are you willing and able to travel between all three of our plant locations in Riverton, MB, Blumenort, MB and Hutchinson, KS?
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: In person
