Plant Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategic Management
• Provide overall leadership and direction for all plant operations, ensuring alignment with company goals, performance objectives, and growth initiatives.
• Lead, develop, coach, and mentor management, supervisory, and production teams while fostering a culture of accountability, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop succession plans, workforce strategies, and employee development programs to ensure long-term organizational success.
• Partner with executive leadership on capital projects, facility expansions, process improvements, and strategic planning initiatives.
• Operations & Production Management
• Direct all production, maintenance, sanitation, inventory, and operational activities to achieve safety, quality, productivity, and profitability objectives.
• Maintain compliance with SQF, USDA, FSMA, HACCP, customer, and internal quality requirements.
• Manage plant budgets, labor planning, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and financial performance.
• Ensure accurate inventory management and responsible stewardship of company assets and resources.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, Customer Service, Quality, Human Resources, and Accounting teams to support production schedules, customer requirements, and business objectives.
• Coordinate inventory planning, material procurement, transportation activities, and customer fulfillment to ensure uninterrupted operations and exceptional service levels.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with vendors, customers, regulatory agencies, and other key stakeholders.
• Staffing & Workforce Development
• Collaborate on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and retention efforts for plant personnel.
• Ensure staffing levels support operational requirements while developing a highly skilled and engaged workforce.
• Promote employee development through coaching, training programs, leadership development, and succession planning initiatives.
• Equipment & Facility Oversight
• Ensure the safe and efficient operation of plant equipment and facilities, including forklifts, front-end loaders, skid steers, and other industrial machinery.
• Oversee facility maintenance, asset management, and capital improvement projects to support operational excellence and future growth.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 7-10 years of progressive manufacturing, processing, or production leadership experience.
• Minimum 5 years of direct management experience leading supervisors and large production teams.
• Strong knowledge of OSHA regulations, workplace safety programs, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience managing budgets, labor planning, and operational financial performance.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and improving operational performance.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications

• SQF Practitioner certification or equivalent food safety experience.
• USDA-regulated manufacturing experience.
• Forklift certification and operational experience.
• Front-end loader operation experience.
• Skid steer operation experience.
• Experience within agriculture, feed, pet food, food processing, rendering, or manufacturing environments.
• Leverage Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement training.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in an office and plant floor environment with frequent movement between locations throughout the day.
• Regular exposure to production areas where noise levels may range from moderate to high.
• Exposure to varying temperatures, dust, odors, moving mechanical equipment, and outdoor weather conditions when performing plant inspections or overseeing operations.
• Frequent walking throughout the facility to monitor operations, conduct inspections, and support production activities.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, squat, climb stairs, reach, push, pull, and use hands and arms to operate equipment and perform job duties.
• Able to work safely around forklifts, front-end loaders, skid steers, conveyors, processing equipment, and other industrial machinery.
• May be required to operate industrial equipment, including forklifts, front-end loaders, skid steers, and other material handling equipment, as business needs dictate.
• Must be able to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communication methods.
• Able to inspect equipment, review production processes, and perform visual quality assessments throughout the facility.
• Occasionally required to climb ladders, access elevated platforms, or enter confined operational areas while following all safety protocols.
• Must be able to occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• May be required to work extended hours, evenings, weekends, holidays, or respond to operational emergencies as necessary to support plant operations.
• Occasionally required to travel to other company facilities, customer locations, training events, or industry meetings.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Operational Excellence
• Team Building & Development
• Safety Leadership
• Financial Acumen
• Continuous Improvement
• Decision Making & Problem Solving
• Conflict Resolution
• Workforce & Succession Planning
• Communication & Collaboration
• Accountability
• Change Management

The pay range for this role is:

• 120,000 - 120,000 USD per year (KCK - IP)

Plant Management and Admin

Kansas City, KS