Associate Director, Manufacturing

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee 5 direct reports through functional managers and supervisors and lead an overall team of more than 300, including 12 exempt leaders.
• Coach, direct, and mentor staff to ensure manufacturing objectives are accomplished in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Maintain an engaged and team-oriented workforce to meet business demands.
• Ensure plant personnel engagement through clear and consistent communication.
• Oversee cultural change initiatives and continually seek improvement of the plant’s competitive advantage.

Manufacturing Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Direct, drive, and manage plant operations for production with a focus on operating efficiency (OEE) and SQF production.
• Act as a change leader by implementing, leading, and sustaining a Lean manufacturing culture aligned with the annual business plan.
• Provide leadership in problem resolution to enable rapid improvement and stronger working relationships.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Communicate potential and actual food safety issues to key personnel and lead corrective action processes.
• Serve as a core leader of the plant safety team.
• Ensure manufacturing operations comply with local, state, and federal regulations and governing laws.
• Enforce company standards for cost control, waste reduction, quality, OSHA compliance, safety, and complete and on-time delivery.

Financial & Performance Management

• Develop, own, and execute departmental budgets.
• Design a manufacturing structure that minimizes labor and overtime costs.
• Drive cost-effective controls over operating expenses, wages, and manpower through MES utilization and partnership with Finance.
• Track yields, labor, and operating expenses using performance metrics to drive data-based decisions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Asset Management

• Partner with R&D and Marketing to develop profitable, market-winning products.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain on short- and long-term production scheduling.
• Work closely with Maintenance and Engineering to ensure effective facilities, equipment, and capital improvements.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, animal science, industrial engineering, business or related field and 10+ years' experience in progressive leadership roles required.
• Mechanical or manufacturing knowledge and understanding of yield, labor, plant efficiencies, and operations procedures required.
• Solid understanding of OSHA, USDA and food safety regulations required.
• Bi-Lingual, preferred (English & Portuguese, or English & Spanish).
• Minimum of 10 years’ manufacturing experience, preferably meat processing.
• Demonstrated success as a change agent and developing and implementing continuous improvements and initiatives.
• Demonstrated success in assessing, developing, and retaining top talent.
• Proven ability to drive process improvements, adhere to budgets, and maintain regulatory compliance.
• Proven ability to lead with the following key competencies: managing change, critical thinking, continuous cost focus, technical expertise, influence, and delivery of sustainable results.
• Past successful experience as a Maintenance and/or Operations Manager preferred.
• Ability to manage conflict and display excellent diplomacy skills in handling situations which can be disruptive to the organization’s business development.