Sr Manager, Technical Operations

About The Role

The Senior Manager, Process Center of Excellence – KEP is responsible for leading the development, deployment, and continuous improvement of McCain’s Key Elements of Processing operating system across manufacturing sites. This role acts as a bridge between global standards, regional execution, plant leadership, operators, Digital Manufacturing, Technical Operations, and external partners to ensure KEP is practical, repeatable, measurable, and sustainable at the site level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and standardization of KEP playbooks, maturity assessments, deployment guides, and repeatable implementation tools for global manufacturing use.
• Own and support KEP deployment activities across sites, including pilot development, launch preparation, onsite coaching, hypercare, and post-deployment sustainment.
• Serve as a Global Element Owner / subject matter leader for assigned KEP elements, including Operator Ownership and Empowerment, with responsibility for expectations, deliverables, training, and deployment consistency.
• Coach plant leadership teams, REOs/SEOs, frontline leaders, and operators on KEP principles, daily direction setting, MDI cadence, operational standards, and problem-solving routines.
• Partner with plant teams to translate global KEP expectations into practical shop-floor execution that operators can understand, use, and sustain in their environment.
• Support plant performance improvement by connecting KEP tools to measurable operational outcomes, including quality, recovery, throughput, downtime reduction, process stability, waste reduction, and capability building.
• Lead and support hypercare activities at deployment sites by observing routines, identifying gaps, coaching leaders, reinforcing standards, and helping the site move from launch to ownership.
• Develop and improve digital systems that support KEP execution, including adherence tracking, KPI visibility, TSU screen standardization, OSI PI alignment, decision trees, and corrective-action workflows.
• Partner with Digital Manufacturing, Technical Operations, Global Manufacturing Excellence, outside consulting, plant leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to align KEP tools, data systems, and deployment methods.
• Create alignment between global standards and regional/site execution so KEP is not just a corporate program, but a practical operating system used by plant teams.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in plant manufacturing and processing
• Strong manufacturing leadership experience with the ability to connect corporate standards to real plant-floor execution
• Deep understanding of potato processing, daily management systems, operational excellence, production leadership, technical operations, and plant performance improvement
• Ability to coach operators, frontline leaders, production managers, plant managers, and regional/global stakeholders
• Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead cross-functional groups and deployment teams
• Ability to develop standards, playbooks, training materials, assessment tools, and digital processes that are simple enough for plant teams to use consistently
• Strong data-driven decision-making skills, including the ability to connect operational routines to KPIs and corrective actions
• Ability to influence without direct authority across plants, regions, functions, and global teams

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma methodologies

Skills

• Leadership
• Project Management
• Operational Excellence
• Plant Management
• Process Improvement
• Training and Development
• Facilitation
• Data Analysis
• Collaboration

Benefits

• Compensation Package: $107,600.00 - $143,500.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility
• Health Coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug)
• Retail Savings Benefits
• Leave Support (Medical, Family and Bereavement)
• Volunteer Time Off
• Mental Health Resources