The Cheesecake Factory

Plant Director

The Cheesecake Factory$220K — $250K *
Food & Beverages
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of experience in food manufacturing management, ideally in bakery/dessert.
  • Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
  • Expertise in food safety, processing equipment, and regulations.
  • Proficient in emergency preparedness plans and procedures.
  • Knowledgeable in USDA, FDA, and OSHA rules and safety codes.
  • Skilled in lean manufacturing, Kaizen, and Six Sigma methods.
  • Experience managing a large-scale P&L and strategic management.

Responsibilities

  • Ensure positive employee relations through effective communication.
  • Develop training programs in partnership with HR to enhance performance.
  • Balance business goals with employee quality-of-life factors.
  • Ensure compliance with regulations and improve employee performance metrics.
  • Oversee production scheduling and resource optimization across departments.
  • Supervise effective equipment setup and material prep for schedule adherence.
  • Manage timekeeping and labor efficiency while minimizing overtime.
  • Collaborate to maintain machine performance and reduce downtime.
  • Drive minimal waste in material usage while adhering to quality standards.
  • Monitor budget compliance and cost performance improvements.
  • Ensure adherence to quality standards and food safety in audits.
  • Lead plant safety initiatives and improve safety performance metrics.
  • Contribute to business planning and operational alignment across teams.
  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement driven by people and processes.

Benefits

  • Annual bonus eligibility
  • Annual equity grants available
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
  • Immediate health benefits eligibility
  • 401K plan with company matching
  • 3 weeks vacation, increasing to 4 weeks after 5 years
  • 5 days sick leave annually
  • Tuition reimbursement up to $2,500
  • $2,500 adoption assistance
  • Dining discounts of 25%-35%
  • Annual dining gift card for employees
Full Job Description
Compensation Range

$220,000 - $250,000/ Year

Overview

The Plant Director is responsible for all production and packaging activities and results for a three-shift, seven-day operation in a 65,000 square-foot facility with approximately 160 full-time, non-union employees. The Director leads, directs, and manages all operational activities, including production scheduling, raw materials and packaging supplies logistics, pre-scaling, mixing, depositing, baking, decorating, and packaging.

They utilize excellent leadership, analytical, management, and technical skills, abilities, and behaviors to drive performance in key areas such as people, safety, quality, service, and cost, aligned with measurable objectives and the Company's Mission, Vision, and Values. The Director also assists with business continuity in the absence of the VP of Operations.

You'll thrive in this position if you are:
  • Service oriented: you are a people person who is systematic and trustworthy and interacts constructively with peers or teams of various levels demonstrating strong, positive communication skills.
  • Driven by results: you are conscientious and persistent about delivering timely, high-quality deliverables, and performing all job functions safely while following instructions.
  • Improvement focused: you never turn off the thought "how can I do this better/faster".
  • Pressure resistant: you have ice in your veins while under pressure. Maintaining a positive outlook at work while the heat is on is never an issue for you.


Responsibilities

  • Maintain positive employee relations through respectful, open, and effective two-way communication at the individual and team levels.
  • Partner with human resources and training departments to develop, implement, and maintain effective training and development programs that support performance goals and provide a satisfying work environment.
  • Maintain a fair and professional work environment that balances business objectives with quality-of-work-life factors for employees.
  • Work with Human Resources to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and company policies, while driving improvements in employee performance as measured by turnover rate, attendance, and feedback mechanisms.
  • Oversee production planning and scheduling to optimize service and efficiency, balancing resources such as crewing, materials, and equipment with other department managers.
  • Supervise the development of synchronized crewing, equipment setup, and materials preparation plans to ensure schedule attainment and optimize capacity utilization.
  • Manage timekeeping, labor efficiency, and plant productivity in compliance with legal and company policies, aiming to minimize overtime and control non-productive line time.
  • Collaborate with the Plant Engineer to ensure preventive and emergency maintenance efforts are effective, minimizing downtime and optimizing machine performance.
  • Manage material usage to ensure minimal waste and maximum yield, while maintaining strict adherence to product quality standards and inventory management.
  • Monitor spending and manage operations within approved budget levels, while driving improvements in cost performance through labor productivity, waste reduction, and yield maximization.
  • Ensure disciplined compliance with product and process quality standards, food safety, and regulatory requirements, striving for "EXCELLENT" or "SUPERIOR" scores in third-party audits.
  • Lead plant safety efforts, including co-chairing the Safety Steering Committee, safety inspections, and training, while driving improvements in safety performance as measured by injury frequency and workers' compensation data.
  • Participate in business plan development, budgeting processes, and plant-level meetings to ensure effective communication and alignment with operational goals.
  • Ability to transform the facility into a CI culture driven by people, process and equipment/technology.
  • Ensure the utilization of 4-step process to drive result in sustainability which are Huddles, Daily meeting, utilization of Red Zone and Sic meetings.


Qualifications

  • Minimum of 15 years of experience in food manufacturing management, preferably in the bakery/dessert industry, with demonstrated success at the Plant Manager or Director of Manufacturing/Operations level.
  • Bachelor's degree (MBA a Plus)
  • Strong experience with food safety, food process equipment, and regulations.
  • Strong experience with emergency preparedness and emergency response plans and procedures.
  • Familiar with regulatory and safety codes, including USDA, FDA, and OSHA regulations.
  • Knowledge and demonstrated skill in lean manufacturing, Kaizen, kitting, and Six Sigma techniques.
  • Prior experience with direct responsibility for a large-scale P&L.
  • Strong and effective strategic management skills, including long-range planning, organizing, communicating, influencing, gathering and using information, and motivating a team to achieve results. Ability to use, and teach others to use, various analytical tools and techniques.
  • Demonstrated mentoring skills.


Benefits

  • Eligible for annual bonus
  • Eligible for annual equity grants
  • Medical, Dental & Vision
  • Eligible for benefits first day of the month following date of hire
  • 401K with company match
  • 3 weeks of vacation which increases to 4 weeks starting in your 5th year
  • 5 days of sick time per year (first year prorated)
  • Tuition Reimbursement of $2,500 for qualified programs
  • Adoption Assistance Benefit of $2,500
  • 25%-35% discount when dining as a guest
  • Reusable gift card loaded annually for your dining enjoyment


About the Company

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery creates over 35,000 delicious cheesecakes per day across our two facilities in Calabasas, CA and Rocky Mount, NC plus other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees, and third-party bakery customers.

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is a subsidiary of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. Recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® since 2014, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a global $3.8 billion public company with more than 370 casual dining restaurants and over 48,000 staff members.

#SoCheesecake #LifeAtCheesecake

To notify of a non-compliant job posting, please send a notice to [email protected].

About The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is a restaurant company headquartered in Calabasas Hills, California. It was founded in 1972 by Evelyn Overton and has since grown to operate more than 200 restaurants in the United States and abroad. The company's restaurants offer a variety of menu items, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts, with a focus on cheesecake. The Cheesecake Factory is known for its large portions and extensive menu. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol CAKE.
Learn more about The Cheesecake Factory
Size
45,800 employees
Market Cap
$1.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$253.3 million
Founded
1978
5 Year Trend
+5.2%
Revenue
$1.9 billion
NASDAQ

Similar Jobs

  • Manufacturing Manager
    $140K — $500K+*
    MASON ELECTRIC CO
    Sylmar, CA 91342 (Los Angeles County)
  • Manufacturing Manager
    $140K — $500K+*
    MASON ELECTRIC CO
    Los Angeles, CA 90011 (Los Angeles County)
  • NRG Energy
    Plant Manager
    $149K — $224K *
    NRG Energy
    El Segundo, CA 90245 (Los Angeles County)

More Jobs at The Cheesecake Factory

More Food & Beverages Jobs

  • Quality Assurance Manager
    $100K — $125K *
    Galerie
    Hebron, KY 41048 (Boone County)
  • Starbucks Store Manager
    $115K — $120K + 20% quarterly bonus potential *
    Brittain Resorts & Hotels
    Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (Orange County)
  • The Cheesecake Factory
    Plant Director
    $220K — $250K *
    The Cheesecake Factory
    Calabasas, CA 91302 (Los Angeles County)
  • Maintenance Manager
    $95K — $135K *
    Lassonde Industries Inc.
    Toronto, ON M3C 0E3
  • McCormick & Company
    Hygiene Lead
    $87K — $153K *
    McCormick & Company
    Hunt Valley, MD 21031 (Baltimore County)

Find similar Plant Director jobs: