The Plant Manager leads a culture where the pursuit of excellence and a passion for winning are prevalent, delivering world-class Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost while strictly adhering to Food Safety and Quality requirements. The Plant Manager owns the site's operating system - building the safety, food safety, daily management, and talent systems that prevent problems rather than react to them - and leads from the floor.
Major Job Functions- Safety: Own serious-injury-and-fatality prevention. Sustain layered controls for high-energy, confined space, chemical, ergonomic, and mobile-equipment risks through daily Gemba, layered audits, and behavioral ownership. Never trade safety for production.
- Food Safety & Quality: Lead the SQF/BRC/FSSC program - preventive controls, GMPs, allergen control, sanitation validation, environmental monitoring, and audit readiness. Drive CAPA closure to zero repeat findings.
- Operational Excellence: Use OEE, downtime, yield, and process data with pareto analysis to eliminate losses. Drive Lean-based daily management and cross-functional CI and sustain gains through standard work.
- Cost: Own the plant P&L. Manage labor, yield, maintenance, utilities, and overhead weekly. Build and execute the operating and capital budgets, including capital project justification.
- Accountability & Culture: Run tiered accountability, escalation, and daily huddles across all shifts. Set clear expectations, protect KPI integrity, and address poor performance promptly.
- Learning & Change: Teach through questions on the floor, use blameless root-cause analysis so problems surface early, and lead change with urgency while keeping the team engaged.
- Talent: Develop supervisors and plant leaders through structured coaching, development plans, candid feedback, and formal reviews. Build succession from within.
- Customer & Cross-Functional: Meet service and OTIF targets by aligning with planning, supply chain, procurement, quality, maintenance, HR, and suppliers. Support Marketing and R&D on new products.
- Metrics Owned: TRIR/LTIR, audit scores, complaints and holds, OEE, cost per unit, yield, overtime, turnover, engagement, and OTIF.
Required Skills/Abilities/Education - Bachelor's degree in engineering, Food Science, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of food/beverage operations leadership, including leading supervisors in a multi-shift plant.
- Proven safety leadership: LOTO, confined space, mobile equipment, and layered audit systems.
- Hands-on leadership of an SQF, BRC, or FSSC 22000 program, including certification audits and CAPA management.
- Proven results with Lean/Six Sigma, daily management, and tiered accountability, sustained over time.
- P&L or cost-center responsibility, including budget preparation.
- Track record of coaching and developing front-line leaders.
- SAP or other ERP/MRP experience.
- Composure under pressure, ownership mindset, openness to feedback, and the ability to communicate at all levels.
- Sound judgment, high integrity, and a strong sense of urgency.
Preferred Qualifications - Aseptic manufacturing experience.
- Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or higher; PCQI, HACCP, or OSHA 30.
- Has led a major transformation and promoted leaders from within.
Benefits - Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage.
- Life Insurance
- 10 Paid Holidays
- PTO - Vacation Time or sick time.
- 401K Program and Company Match up to 3.5%
- Company STD & LTD (Short term & Long-term disability)
For more information about our company please visit our website at
www.sunnyskyproducts.com
