Plant Operations Manager

About the role

The Manager, Plant Operations is responsible for overall leadership, performance, and operational excellence of the Brooklyn food manufacturing, warehousing, and packaging facility. The role oversees all areas of production and warehousing operations while ensuring compliance with food safety, quality, regulatory, and safety standards. It drives productivity, cost efficiency, continuous improvement, and employee engagement to meet customer demand, quality expectations, and operational goals, and partners closely with corporate leadership on strategic and financial initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership & Performance Management
  • Lead and manage all plant operations including production, warehouse, safety, sanitation, quality, and logistics.
  • Oversee daily production scheduling, capacity planning, and workforce management to meet customer demand and service levels.
  • Ensure efficient flow of raw materials, finished goods, and inventory; develop, refine, and monitor KPIs related to output, labor efficiency, downtime, waste, and on‑time delivery.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Food Safety, Quality & Compliance
  • Ensure strict compliance with HACCP, GMPs, FDA, USDA, and other regulatory requirements.
  • Maintain readiness for internal and external audits (FDA, USDA, customer audits, third‑party certifications).
  • Partner with Quality Assurance leadership to ensure product safety, traceability, and regulatory compliance; lead root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for quality or food‑safety issues.
  • Maintain a safe working environment in accordance with OSHA and company safety standards; lead safety initiatives to reduce incidents and improve safety culture.
• Workforce Leadership & Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop a leadership team that may include production, warehouse, maintenance, and quality managers and supervisors.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.
  • Manage workforce planning, hiring, training, and performance management; promote employee engagement and retention.
  • Build bench strength and succession planning for key facility roles.
• Warehouse, Cold Chain & Maintenance Operations
  • Oversee frozen storage and warehousing to maintain product integrity and cold‑chain compliance; ensure proper inventory management, rotation (FIFO/FEFO), and storage conditions.
  • Coordinate inbound raw materials and outbound finished‑goods logistics.
  • Manage preventive maintenance programs for production equipment, refrigeration systems, and facility infrastructure; ensure minimal downtime and support reliability engineering.
• Financial & Strategic Management
  • Develop and manage plant operating budgets including labor, maintenance, utilities, and capital expenditures.
  • Identify cost‑reduction opportunities while maintaining quality and service.
  • Partner with supply chain, finance, and corporate leadership on strategic initiatives; lead capital improvement projects and facility upgrades.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: 5–8+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or consumer packaged goods; minimum 2 years in plant or senior operations management. Experience managing large teams (150+ employees preferred) and cold‑chain operations, including frozen storage and fresh‑produce warehousing, in high‑volume manufacturing and packaging environments.
• Technical Proficiency: Strong knowledge of food safety standards (HACCP, GMP, FDA, USDA); experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous‑improvement methodologies; familiarity with ERP, WMS, and manufacturing systems.

Skills

• Required Skills: Strong leadership, communication, and team‑development abilities; analytical skills to interpret operational data and drive performance improvements; robust problem‑solving and decision‑making capabilities. Bilingual Spanish highly preferred.
• Preferred Skills / Core Competencies
  • Financial & Analytical Acumen – analyzes operational and financial data to guide budgeting, cost control, and performance decisions.
  • Continuous Improvement Mindset – drives Lean, Six Sigma, and other methodologies to enhance productivity, quality, and efficiency.
  • Advanced Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis – identifies root causes of operational, quality, or safety issues and implements sustainable corrective actions.
  • Talent Development & Leadership – builds, coaches, and develops a strong leadership team and bench strength across the facility.
  • Communication & Influencing Skills – conveys strategic priorities and operational expectations clearly across all organization levels.
  • Operational Excellence & Standardization – establishes and maintains standardized processes ensuring consistent quality, safety, and productivity.
  • Collaboration & Cross‑Functional Partnership – partners effectively with supply chain, finance, quality, and corporate leadership to support facility and business goals.

Pay & Benefits

This role offers a salary range of $125,000 – $150,000 annually, based on skills, experience, and location. Employees receive a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, a 401(k) with company match, and paid time off.