Plant Manager

About the role

The Plant Manager manages, directs, and coordinates overall plant operations and budget while providing coaching and leadership to team members in employee engagement, human and food safety, continuous improvement, productivity, quality, cost, and equipment reliability. Success relies on building relationships and fully engaging all employees in business improvement.

Performance is measured by critical metrics including retention of key certifications (food safety, quality, organics), reduced total recordable injury rates, employee retention and turnover, asset reliability, improved yields, case fill rate, on-time delivery, and lower conversion cost year over year.

This position oversees non-union full-time employees and salaried personnel.

Responsibilities

• Continually coach, direct, and train employees utilizing Lean principles.
• Monitor employees' work performance and attitude; perform formal reviews as required by policy.
• Coach and counsel employees about work-related issues and assist in correcting job skill deficiencies.
• Ensure adherence to all health and safety policies/protocols and promote a safety culture.
• Lead the development, execution, and monitoring of the operations strategy in line with overall operational objectives to achieve performance, quality, and safety improvements.
• Drive the continuous improvement program to deliver opportunities in cost, quality, food safety, and service.
• Develop and execute operational and capital budgets.
• Utilize data such as Operational Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), line speed targets, efficiency, and process data to continuously improve productivity, uptime, and reliability.
• Ensure all plant personnel operate in compliance with plant, corporate, customer, and governmental regulations.
• Coordinate manufacturing activities with other organizational functions and suppliers to optimize production and resource utilization.
• Conduct regular meetings with plant personnel to communicate and address operational issues expediently.
• Drive employee engagement, training, and development to maximize safety, quality, and productivity.

Additional tasks and duties may be assigned as necessitated by business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management or Engineering.
• Five years of related experience in progressively expanding roles, including a Senior Plant Leadership role.
• Experience in Food Manufacturing, Processing, or Packaging industry preferred.
• Lean/Continuous Improvement experience strongly desired.
• Results-driven with a strong desire to grow and learn in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding targets and goals.
• Minimum 5-8 years of manufacturing experience preferred in plant leadership.

Physical Activity / Working Conditions

Work is performed in various locations inside and outside the plant, involving exposure to temperature extremes, high noise levels, wetness, heights, dust, moving equipment, vibrations, and vapors. Equipment used includes pumps, valves, piping, hose, tanks, machinery, computers, control panels, forklifts, hand tools, copy machines, label makers, and other role-specific equipment.

• Personal protective equipment includes safety glasses, slip-resistant shoes, and hearing protection.
• Compliance with all safety policies and safe work procedures is mandatory.
• Job tasks may involve lifting up to 50 pounds, frequent carrying, reaching, bending, crawling, standing, repetitive motion, and working at heights.
• Employees are expected to attend safety and GMP training, serve on the facility safety committee if requested, and participate in hazard analysis and resolution.
• Periodic travel to other sites may be required.

Schedule

1st Shift, Monday–Friday with overtime as applicable.

Pay

$136,000 – $238,000 annually with additional bonus potential.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), AD&D, and Life insurance.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Hospital indemnity, Accident Insurance, and Critical Illness coverage.
• Identity and Fraud Protection Plan.
• Legal services.