Value Stream Manager – New Product Development & Convenience Foods

About the role

Capwell Industries Limited is seeking a senior manufacturing leader to own the end‑to‑end value stream for New Product Development (NPD) and Convenience Foods. You will be responsible for the flow, cost, quality, food safety and people capability across beverage, ready‑to‑eat, extrusion, puffed snack, FRK and fried snack operations.

Key responsibilities

• Map, manage and continuously improve material and information flow across the convenience foods value stream.
• Drive systematic waste elimination using lean tools such as takt time, standard work, visual management, 5S, Kaizen and pull systems.
• Lead tier‑management routines and own the capacity model and OEE program, targeting top loss contributors.
• Serve as manufacturing lead in Capwell’s NPD Stage‑Gate process from feasibility to commercial launch.
• Scale validated pilots to full production, establishing SOPs, yield targets and quality control points for each new product.
• Provide technical leadership for extrusion, puffed snack, seasoning, frying, beverage and ready‑to‑eat manufacturing processes.

Required profile

• Senior manufacturing professional with deep experience in value‑stream management.
• Proven track record in lean implementation and NPD commercialization within FMCG or food‑processing environments.
• Strong leadership skills to manage supervisors, shift leads and production operators.

Required skills

• Lean manufacturing tools: takt time, standard work, visual management, 5S, Kaizen, pull systems.
• Capacity modelling and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) analysis.
• Technical expertise in extrusion processing, puffed snack manufacturing, seasoning & flavouring systems, frying technologies, beverage processing and ready‑to‑eat food production.
• Experience with NPD Stage‑Gate processes, SOP development and yield optimization.

What we offer

• Opportunity to build and lead a fast‑growing convenience foods operation.
• Leadership role within a leading Kenyan FMCG manufacturer.
• Exposure to regional expansion initiatives.