Plant Manager

Plant Manager Location:
Greater Johnson City, TN

Area Industry: Food Manufacturing (Cookies, Crackers, Granola Bars)

About the Role: We are seeking a results‑driven Plant Manager to lead a fast‑paced, 24/6 food manufacturing facility producing cookies, crackers, and granola bars. This role oversees approximately 210 employees across four production lines
, including Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Receiving, and Shipping teams.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, data‑driven leader with expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Food Safety, and Financial Operations
. You will be responsible for driving operational performance, developing cohesive high‑performing teams, and achieving safety, quality, cost, delivery, and engagement goals in alignment with company objectives.

• Direct and develop a workforce of ~210 employees across Production, Maintenance, Sanitation, Receiving, and Shipping.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with supervisors, leads, and cross‑functional partners.
• Implement training and succession planning to strengthen leadership capabilities at all levels.

• Manage a 24/6 manufacturing operation with four production lines.
• Lead daily production planning, resource allocation, and workflow optimization to meet output and quality targets.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and standard work practices to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
• Drive continuous improvement projects, leveraging root cause analysis and problem‑solving tools.

• Ensure full compliance with food safety regulations (FDA, SQF, HACCP, GMP).
• Promote a zero‑incident safety culture through proactive EHS initiatives.
• Maintain high product quality and consistency through systems, training, and accountability.

• Own plant‑level budgeting, including labor, materials, and overhead.
• Monitor and improve financial performance using P&L analysis, KPI dashboards, and cost‑saving initiatives.
• Lead capital project evaluations, ROI justification, and implementation.

• Align plant operations with corporate goals, including capacity, yield, service levels, cost, and innovation.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives with engineering, quality, R&D, supply chain, and HR.
• Identify opportunities for automation, technology upgrades, and process standardization.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field required.
• 8–10 years of progressive leadership experience in food or CPG manufacturing (baked goods preferred).
• Demonstrated success managing a plant or major production area of similar scale (100 employees, multi‑line operations).
• Proven expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, or TPM methodologies.
• Strong financial acumen with hands‑on experience managing budgets, P&L statements, and cost‑reduction projects
  .
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, coaching, and change management skills.
• Knowledge of food safety standards (FDA, HACCP, SQF, BRC) and EHS compliance requirements.