Senior General Manager

Position Summary:

The Senior General Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight of all manufacturing and operational functions across the facility. This role is responsible for driving safety, quality, productivity, cost effectiveness, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement while ensuring production and customer demands are met. The Senior General Manager develops a high-performing leadership team and aligns plant operations with company objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.

Key Responsibilities:

Operations Leadership:

• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, and development to plant leaders and employees, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Direct plant production and warehouse operations to ensure high-quality products are produced safely, efficiently, and at the lowest reasonable cost.
• Establish clear performance expectations and ensure plant KPIs, production goals, and customer requirements are consistently met.
• Optimize production processes, staffing, workflows, and resource allocation to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Partner with Production Planning, Procurement, Receiving, and other departments to ensure adequate supplies and resources are available to meet demand.
• Monitor plant performance and use operational data, KPIs, and analytics to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts in partnership with the CI team, including process enhancements, automation, and technology adoption.
• Lead change-management initiatives to support new systems, processes, equipment, and organizational improvements.

Safety, Food Safety & Compliance:

• Champion a strong safety culture by promoting safe behaviors, addressing unsafe conditions, and maintaining compliance with OSHA, EPA, and company requirements.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and compliant workplace and support an effective plant safety team.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, HACCP, SQF, GMP, food safety, sanitation, and quality requirements.
• Provide overall leadership and accountability for food safety within the facility.
• Coordinate sanitation activities with Production leaders to ensure equipment cleanliness, health, and operational readiness.
• Oversee verification processes to ensure finished products meet or exceed food safety and quality specifications.
• Ensure employees receive appropriate safety, food safety, and compliance training.
• Continuously evaluate and improve safety, food safety, sanitation, and quality systems to support audit readiness and evolving industry standards.

Financial, Maintenance & Facility Management:

• Develop and manage plant budgets, operating costs, daily variances, scrap, downtime, and other performance measures.
• Lead the Maintenance team in improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime through preventive maintenance, best practices, and continuous improvement tools.
• Review plant maintenance records and schedules to ensure equipment is properly maintained and production interruptions are minimized.
• Oversee facility and equipment planning to support current operations and future business growth.
• Recommend capital improvement projects and partner with Engineering and Project Management on planning, execution, and return on investment.
• Apply sound financial and operational judgment when prioritizing resources, investments, and improvement initiatives.

People Leadership:

• Build and sustain a high-performing leadership team through coaching, mentorship, performance management, and talent development.
• Maintain appropriate staffing across all shifts and authorize hiring, promotion, corrective action, and termination decisions in partnership with Human Resources.
• Ensure performance expectations, company policies, and disciplinary procedures are communicated and applied consistently.
• Lead the execution of Calbee’s Performance Management System across the facility.
• Foster strong relationships across departments and with external partners to support plant and company objectives.
• Uphold Calbee’s values and reinforce a culture of integrity, respect, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or a related manufacturing environment, including responsibility for large-scale plant operations.
• Experience in salty snack manufacturing and extrusion is strongly preferred.
• Broad operational knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, warehouse, sanitation, safety, quality, and preventive maintenance functions.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, capital projects, operational costs, and resource allocation.
• Proven ability to improve safety, quality, productivity, equipment reliability, and overall plant performance.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to use data and financial insights to make sound operational decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong knowledge of workplace safety, food safety, quality-control procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Working knowledge of Human Resources practices, performance management, and employee-relations policies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience implementing automation, technology, or operational improvement initiatives.
• SQF Practitioner certification preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or related certifications are a plus.