The Morning Star Company

Performance Measurement and Engagement Design

Woodland, CA

This role is a blend of the intuitive and the analytical. It requires a background in employee engagement and performance measurement, with a creative bent for developing the right measures that will drive colleague engagement with irresistible performance measurements. A splash of game design doesn't hurt. 

"…companies trying to implement gamification need to recognize the necessity of the immediacy of the feedback. … If you even wait until the end of the month to provide feedback, you have basically done nothing to move the needle on behavioral change. All sports and recreational activities offer immediate feedback to drive success."
 - Charles Coonradt, The Game of Work

The Company

The Morning Star Company and its affiliates operate three tomato processing facilities in Central California, processing over 1/3 of the California processing tomato crop, in addition to tomato transplanting, farming, harvesting and trucking operations.  The company employs over 500 year-round and approximately 4,000 seasonal Colleagues.

The Morning Star Company is the largest independent producer of bulk tomato ingredient products (tomato paste and diced tomatoes) in the world.  We also produce canned tomatoes, tomato products and specialty sauces in pouches for customers in the retail and food service markets.  The company is known worldwide for its innovation and integrity.

We are organizationally structured through a system we term Mission Focused Self-Management™.  Our company is operated by Colleagues without titles or an appointed hierarchy of authority.  Authority relative to other Colleagues’ activities is lateral, with our Mission as our guiding principle of action, and respect, influence and success built based on each Colleague’s integrity, competency, effort, persistence and straightforward persuasiveness.  Although we have grown significantly, we intend to maintain a culture of individual responsibility and Mission Focused Self-Management™.

The Mission and Position:

The Mission of the colleague is to develop and refine energizing and enthusing performance measurements to all Morning Star colleagues while adding net value to the enterprise. 

Specific Responsibilities and Activities:

• Continuously improve the measurement and reporting process of performance measurements (we call them “Steppingstones”) throughout our enterprise.
• Partner with relevant colleagues to define, measure and present meaningful Steppingstones that will add net value. Drive performance engagement, and build an ecosystem in which Colleagues are valued, engaged, and motivated to deliver their best.
• Performance Management: Develop and implement a new performance management ecosystem to support the enterprise. This includes enterprise-wide performance tooling decisions, Steppingstone design, and performance metrics.  
• Business Consulting: Act as a trusted advisor to Colleagues across the company on the topic of performance assessment.
• Further refine and excite existing talent engagement.
• Establish the relationship between input and output metrics for a given colleague, business unit, and operating entity. Recognize and map out the links between these various units. Identify and report the critical drivers (input metrics) that if improved, should achieve the desired value of a given output metric. Periodically validate the hypothesis and assumptions linking a given set of input and output metrics and iterate as necessary.
• Forge and support strong and trusting relationships with Colleagues of every Business Unit and collborate with them.
• Energize and support the development of next generation systems and processes to collect, aggregate and synthesize information in order to more effectively and efficiently accomplish your mission.

This position requires the colleague to have a background in employee engagement and performance measurement, with a creative bent for developing the right measures that will drive colleague engagement with irresistible performance measurements.

The ideal candidate likely has previous leadership experience in such a capacity, is well versed in data analysis, and can use data to create the right measure. Individuals who fear confrontation, lack the gumption to speak up and stir the pot, or are uncomfortable with ambiguity should not apply.  Any potential colleague should have fundamental and persuasive leadership skills.

The successful candidate would likely have a meaningful, formal education in Mission related disciplines such as industrial or organizational psychology, business administration, including information systems, finance, economics, or other business/analytical disciplines. This role requires analytical and quantitative skills and an ability to use data and metrics to back up assumptions, develop business cases, and complete root cause analyses. Working knowledge of relevant data technologies is a plus.

This position is for a hands-on professional who enjoys working on a peer level with talented and committed colleagues, who has the self-confidence to pursue their convictions and work independently with broadly defined work objectives. The principal office is expected to be in Woodland (Sacramento area).

Compensation: $120,000 to $150,000, depending upon qualifications.

Benefits: Morning Star offers a top-tier, comprehensive health plan, including medical, dental, and vision, and pays the full monthly premiums for the Colleague and all eligible family members. The company also contributes to Colleagues' Health Savings Accounts. Year-round Colleagues are eligible to enroll in our 401K plan, with 4% match.