Director of Plant Operations

The Director of Manufacturing leads manufacturing operations and is accountable for safety, food safety, quality, service, cost, productivity and associate engagement. This role builds

capable teams and future leaders, translates business objectives into operating plans and establishes the discipline necessary to consistently achieve production schedules and support profitable growth.

Success is measured by current results and the organization’s ability to deliver better, more consistent results over time through fact-based decision-making, continuous improvement and an unwavering commitment to Safety First. Quality Always.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Organizational Capability

• Build a capable, collaborative and high-performing manufacturing leadership team.
• Hold leaders accountable for results, leadership behavior and associate development.
• Develop Production Managers and Supervisors who use data, respond to performance gaps with urgency and solve problems at their root cause.
• Strengthen succession planning and the manufacturing leadership pipeline.
• Partner with Human Resources to improve staffing, onboarding, training, attendance, performance, retention and workforce stability.
• Reinforce values through daily leadership practices and decisions.

Manufacturing Performance

• Lead safe, reliable and efficient manufacturing operations in compliance with applicable safety, food safety, quality, sanitation and regulatory requirements.
• Establish objectives aligned with company strategy, customer requirements and financial expectations.
• Achieve production schedules through effective coordination of staffing, equipment, materials and supporting functions.
• Reduce variability across lines and shifts through standardized work, consistent leadership and replication of best practices.
• Monitor and improve safety, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), schedule attainment, labor productivity, manufacturing cost, waste, yield, first-pass quality, finished goods destroyed, downtime, throughput and capacity utilization.

Operating Systems

• Establish and sustain a Daily Management System with tiered accountability meetings, visual performance management, Gemba walks, root-cause analysis and action tracking.
• Eliminate recurring failures by establishing clear ownership, verifying corrective actions and sustaining improvements.
• Improve throughput, changeover efficiency, equipment reliability, capacity utilization and material flow.
• Implement and sustain Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance, Six Sigma or comparable operational-excellence practices.

Reliability, Capacity and Growth

• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Develop fact-based assessments of production constraints, line capability and demonstrated capacity.
• Maximize existing asset capability before recommending additional capital investment.
• Lead manufacturing readiness, startup, ramp-up and stabilization for new products, customers, equipment and capacity expansions while minimizing disruption to existing operations.
• Manage manufacturing budgets, operating expenses and cost drivers.
• Deliver measurable and sustainable productivity savings.
• Evaluate manufacturing decisions based on their impact on service, capacity, cost, profitability and Adjusted EBITDA.
• Support capital planning by defining manufacturing needs and expected operational and financial returns.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Food Science, Business or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience.
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in high-volume manufacturing, including five years leading multiple production departments or an entire manufacturing operation