Michael Foods, Inc.

Plant Technical Director

Michael Foods, Inc.$100K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering (chemical, electrical, mechanical preferred)
  • Willingness to relocate within the network for growth opportunities
  • Strong technical leadership experience in a manufacturing setting
  • Experience in process engineering or operations management
  • Preference for experience in a union environment
  • Ability to improve plant performance while developing teams
  • Passion for value stream engineering and continuous improvement

Responsibilities

  • Set strategic technical direction for engineering and maintenance
  • Ensure systems and processes support reliable execution
  • Lead performance improvement initiatives focusing on OEE and cost reduction
  • Develop technical leadership and succession capabilities
  • Advance value stream engineering for enhanced operational performance
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams for site advancement
  • Influence future-focused technical and operational strategies

Benefits

  • Visible impact at a key manufacturing site
  • Significant scope and influence over major technical functions
  • Pathway to future site and manufacturing leadership roles
  • Strong company resources coupled with a small-company culture
  • Opportunities for personal and professional growth
Full Job Description
Location Description

Post Consumer Brands in Battle Creek, Mich., the cereal capital of the U.S., is the company's largest manufacturing plant and home to about 600 team members. When you join the team here, you'll be helping to produce some of the most iconic cereal brands, including Honey Bunches of Oats™, PEBBLES™, Grape-Nuts™ and Honeycomb™ cereal. The Battle Creek plant is also unique as it is home to the original barn where C.W. Post started the Postum cereal company in 1895. The Battle Creek team has deep community roots, supporting the city's Cereal Festival, The Post Foundation, and participating in several volunteer events throughout the year.

Responsibilities

At Post Consumer Brands, we make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. We offer the best of both worlds: big company opportunity and small company attitude, with room to make a visible impact, grow your career, and leave your handprint on the work.

Our Battle Creek, Michigan plant is the company's largest manufacturing site and home to about 600 team members producing some of our most iconic cereal brands. This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity to shape the technical future of the site and help position the plant for long-term success.

About the Role

The Plant Technical Director leads the technical direction of the Battle Creek plant, with responsibility across engineering, maintenance, and broader technical strategy for the site. This role partners closely with operations leadership to ensure the plant has the systems, processes, and long-term technical foundations needed to execute at a high level today and into the future.

This is a strategic leadership role with broad organizational scope with 130+ people across multiple technical departments including maintenance, process engineering, project management, and controls engineering. You'll help shape the site's long-term capabilities while influencing performance, people development, and technical excellence.

Key Responsibilities
  • Set the strategic technical direction for the plant across engineering, maintenance, and long-range site readiness.
  • Ensure the right systems, processes, and capabilities are in place so the site can execute reliably and improve over time.
  • Lead plant performance improvement through a focus on runtime, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and cost per pound.
  • Build and develop technical leadership bench strength, including succession capability within the organization


  • Advance value stream engineering and process capability thinking across the plant to drive stronger end-to-end technical and operational performance.
  • Partner across functions to move the site forward with strong technical judgment, leadership discipline, and a future-focused mindset.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering strongly preferred, ideally in chemical, electrical, mechanical, or a similarly rigorous engineering discipline. Degree in Management or other science required.
  • Ability to relocation for future roles within the network, for your future growth and development.
  • Strong technical leadership experience paired with operational credibility in a manufacturing environment.
  • Experience that reflects more than capital projects alone, with backgrounds such as process engineering, process engineering supervision, operations management, or similar technical/operations leadership paths viewed favorably.
  • Strong preference for experience working in a union environment.
  • A leader who understands how to improve plant performance while developing others and building capability for the future.
  • Someone energized by value stream engineering, end-to-end process thinking, and continuous improvement.

Why You'll Love This Role
  • This is a chance to make a visible impact at one of Post Consumer Brands' most important manufacturing sites.
  • The role offers significant scope and influence, with responsibility for major technical functions and the opportunity to shape long-term site performance.
  • Success in this role can create a meaningful path toward future site leadership and broader manufacturing leadership opportunities throughout the network.
  • You'll be part of a company that combines strong resources, beloved brands, and meaningful career growth with an inviting, small-company culture.
  • We're looking for people with big ambitions, big hearts, and the desire to make a big difference.

Location & Travel
  • Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
  • Relocation support is available for this role.
  • Travel to corporate and other sites as needed (10% or less)

Ready to Make an Impact

If you're a strategic technical leader who thrives on improving performance, building strong teams, and creating the conditions for long-term success, we'd love to hear from you. Join Post Consumer Brands and discover a role where your leadership can shape what's next - for the plant, for the business, and for your career.

About Michael Foods, Inc.

Michael Foods is a leading producer and distributor of value-added food products. The company's products include egg products, refrigerated potato products, and cheese and dairy products. Michael Foods' egg products are used in a variety of food products, including baked goods, soups, sauces, and prepared meals. The company's potato products are used in a variety of food products, including mashed potatoes, hash browns, and potato pancakes. Michael Foods was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Learn more about Michael Foods, Inc.
Size
3,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1908

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