Position Title: Sr Manager, Technical Operations
Position Type: Regular - Full-Time
Grade: Grade 06
Requisition ID: 43282
About the role.The Senior Manager, Process Center of Excellence - KEP is responsible for leading the development, deployment, and continuous improvement of McCain's Key Elements of Processing operating system across manufacturing sites. This role acts as a bridge between global standards, regional execution, plant leadership, operators, Digital Manufacturing, Technical Operations, and external partners to ensure KEP is practical, repeatable, measurable, and sustainable at the site level.
This position leads the creation and refinement of global KEP playbooks, maturity assessments, deployment documents, training materials, digital tools, and plant support models. The role supports Regional and Site Element Owners (REO & SEO) through deployment, hypercare, coaching, and governance to ensure Best Operating Practices are embedded into daily management routines and are connected to measurable improvements in safety, quality, cost, reliability, operator capability, and overall plant performance.
What you'll be doing.- Lead the development and standardization of KEP playbooks, maturity assessments, deployment guides, and repeatable implementation tools for global manufacturing use.
- Own and support KEP deployment activities across sites, including pilot development, launch preparation, onsite coaching, hypercare, and post-deployment sustainment.
- Serve as a Global Element Owner / subject matter leader for assigned KEP elements, including Operator Ownership and Empowerment, with responsibility for expectations, deliverables, training, and deployment consistency.
- Coach plant leadership teams, REOs/SEOs, frontline leaders, and operators on KEP principles, daily direction setting, MDI cadence, operational standards, and problem-solving routines.
- Partner with plant teams to translate global KEP expectations into practical shop-floor execution that operators can understand, use, and sustain in their environment.
- Support plant performance improvement by connecting KEP tools to measurable operational outcomes, including quality, recovery, throughput, downtime reduction, process stability, waste reduction, and capability building.
- Lead and support hypercare activities at deployment sites by observing routines, identifying gaps, coaching leaders, reinforcing standards, and helping the site move from launch to ownership.
- Develop and improve digital systems that support KEP execution, including adherence tracking, KPI visibility, TSU screen standardization, OSI PI alignment, decision trees, and corrective-action workflows.
- Partner with Digital Manufacturing, Technical Operations, Global Manufacturing Excellence, outside consulting, plant leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to align KEP tools, data systems, and deployment methods.
- Train and onboard REOs and site leaders on KEP deployment expectations, playbook usage, assessment methods, governance routines, and sustainment requirements.
- Use maturity assessments and plant feedback to identify gaps in adoption, improve deployment materials, and strengthen global repeatability.
- Support lighthouse and pilot deployments by turning learnings from Lighthouse sites into standard work for future global rollouts.
- Create alignment between global standards and regional/site execution so KEP is not just a corporate program, but a practical operating system used by plant teams.
What you'll need to be successful.- 5+ years of experience in plant manufacturing and processing
- Strong manufacturing leadership experience with the ability to connect corporate standards to real plant-floor execution.
- Deep understanding of potato processing, daily management systems, operational excellence, production leadership, technical operations, and plant performance improvement.
- Ability to coach operators, frontline leaders, production managers, plant managers, and regional/global stakeholders.
- Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead cross-functional groups and deployment teams.
- Ability to develop standards, playbooks, training materials, assessment tools, and digital processes that are simple enough for plant teams to use consistently.
- Strong data-driven decision-making skills, including the ability to connect operational routines to KPIs and corrective actions.
- Ability to influence without direct authority across plants, regions, functions, and global teams.
About the team.This role is part of the Global Process Centre of Excellence supporting McCain's manufacturing transformation. This role supports manufacturing sites Globally across deployment locations, with direct involvement in KEP development, deployment, coaching, hypercare, training, maturity assessment, and sustainment.
The position influences plant managers, production leaders, technical operations teams, operators, REOs, global process leaders, digital manufacturing teams, and external consulting partners without always having direct authority over those teams.
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Compensation Package : $107,600.00 - $143,500.00 . USD annually + Bonus eligibility
The above reflects the target compensation range for the position at the time of posting. Hiring compensation will be determined based on experience, skill set, education and training, and other organizational needs. This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Benefits: At McCain, we're on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person's needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug), retirement savings benefits, and leave support including medical, family and bereavement. Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources. Coverages are aligned with applicable law and can vary by work level, location, and nature of the role. Additional benefit detail available during the application process.
Your well-being matters to us, and we're here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work - and at home.
Job Family: Engineering & Technical
Location(s): US - United States of America : Wisconsin : Plover || US - United States of America : Illinois : Oakbrook Terrace || US - United States of America : Maine : Easton || US - United States of America : Washington : Othello || US - United States of America : Wisconsin : Appleton
Company: McCain Foods USA, Inc.