Plant Manager - Beverage Manufacturing

About the role

Lassonde Pappas & Co. is a US leader in beverage manufacturing, dedicated to team members, customers, and consumers satisfaction. Founded in 1942, we produce delicious products across the country. Our commitment to safety, quality, and customer service drives our operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day plant operations to achieve safety, food safety, quality, service, productivity, reliability, and financial objectives.
• Build and sustain a culture where employee safety, food safety, quality ownership, accountability, and operational discipline are non-negotiable expectations.
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, GMPs, HACCP and preventive controls, customer standards, company policies, and third-party audit requirements.
• Maintain robust control of hot-fill and aseptic manufacturing processes, including thermal processing, CIP/SIP systems, sanitation, environmental monitoring, hygienic zoning, and package integrity.
• Partner closely with Quality and Food Safety leaders to maintain audit readiness, prevent contamination, manage deviations, lead root-cause analysis, and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on OEE, throughput, yield, schedule attainment, labor productivity, conversion cost, material usage, and overall equipment reliability.
• Lead Maintenance and Engineering priorities to improve equipment uptime, reduce unplanned downtime, strengthen preventive maintenance programs, and support long-term asset reliability.
• Develop, justify, and execute capital projects that improve safety, capacity, reliability, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
• Manage the plant operating budget, monitor financial performance, and deliver sustainable cost and productivity improvements.
• Develop plant leaders and employees through coaching, performance management, training, succession planning, and accountability systems.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational excellence, cost reduction, and process reliability.
• Serve as the senior site leader during customer visits, regulatory inspections, internal reviews, and third-party certification audits.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Food Science, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Ten or more years of progressive manufacturing experience, including significant leadership responsibility in a plant or operations environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional manufacturing teams, including Production, Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, Engineering, Sanitation, Warehouse, and Continuous Improvement.
• Strong working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP or preventive controls, sanitation programs, FDA regulations, and high-hygiene manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to manage plant operating budgets, labor utilization, production performance, cost reduction initiatives, and capital projects.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to establish expectations, build accountable teams, coach leaders, resolve conflict, and communicate effectively across all organizational levels.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills utilizing data-driven decision-making, root-cause analysis, corrective action systems, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Qualifications

• Experience in aseptic, hot-fill, low-acid beverage, dairy, food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience with thermal processing, CIP/SIP systems, aseptic filling, package integrity programs, environmental monitoring, allergen control, and sanitation validation.
• Working knowledge of SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000, GFSI, customer audits, FDA inspections, and similar certification programs.
• Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, OSHA, food safety, or operations leadership certifications.
• Experience leading facility expansions, production line start-ups, major equipment installations, automation improvements, or capital-intensive reliability projects.

Skills

• Leadership and hands-on experience in manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of GMPs, HACCP, and FDA regulations.
• Effective communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage budgets and drive cost reductions.
• Experience with continuous improvement methodologies like Lean Manufacturing, TPM, and Six Sigma.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage options.
• Growth and development potential.
• 401-K plan.
• Life & Disability Insurance.
• PTO.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Gym membership discounts.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $120,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

This is a full-time position with standard Monday through Friday hours.