Plant Manager

City:
Channahon, State:
Illinois, Country:
United States, Requisition Number: 42329

A Day in the Life:

Bunge is a world leader in sourcing, processing, and supplying oilseed and grain products and ingredients. Join our team in Channahon, IL, as a Plant Manager and lead the team in operational excellence for our edible oil refinery and packaging plant. This is a critical leadership role where you will drive performance, foster a strong safety culture, and develop a high‑performing team.

As the Plant Manager, you will be the strategic and operational leader. You'll be responsible for ensuring safe, efficient, and cost‑effective operations, contributing directly to our success in delivering high‑quality products. This role combines hands‑on leadership with strategic planning, demanding a proactive approach to continuous improvement and team development.

Salary range: $–$. This role is also eligible to receive an annual incentive bonus.

• Lead Safety & Compliance
  :
  Champion a world‑class safety culture, ensuring strict adherence to all regulatory and corporate environmental, health, and safety (EHS) guidelines. Establish robust controls and procedures to maintain ongoing compliance and foster positive relationships with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Drive Operational Excellence
  :
  Oversee all aspects of plant operations, including production, packaging, maintenance, and quality control. Continuously monitor and improve plant productivity, efficiency, and cost‑effectiveness, ensuring optimal resource utilization.
• Financial Management & Planning
  :
  Manage plant costs and budgets, developing and implementing capital expenditure plans and operating budgets. Evaluate operations to meet financial objectives and key performance indicator (KPI) targets. Prepare and supervise accurate daily and monthly production reports.
• Team Leadership & Development
  :
  Recruit, develop, and retain a high‑performing, efficient, and motivated management team. Foster a plant culture that encourages employee involvement, accountability, continuous improvement, and career growth. Maintain positive employee relations, particularly within a unionized environment.
• Quality & Customer Focus
  :
  Coordinate resources and establish procedures to consistently meet or exceed corporate quality standards and customer expectations.
• Strategic Collaboration
  :
  Work closely with commercial and administrative groups to establish and achieve short and long‑term operating objectives. Develop long‑range plans for facility growth and efficiency.
• Risk Management
  :
  Implement sound administrative and operational risk management controls to safeguard company assets.

• Education
  :
  Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field is required. An MBA is a plus.
• Experience
  : A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in plant operations, including at least 5 years in a management or supervisory role within the oilseed processing, edible oil, or food processing industry (or a closely related field).
• Union Environment
  :
  Prior experience leading and managing in a unionized environment is strongly preferred.
• Technical & Financial Acumen
  :
  Proficiency in MS Office is essential. Working knowledge of SAP is strongly preferred. Demonstrated strong financial and business acumen is critical for managing budgets, optimizing costs, and driving productivity.
• Leadership & Problem‑Solving
  :
  Proven ability to lead, engage, and motivate both hourly and salary teams. Exceptional leadership skills, independent thinking, strong organizational abilities, and excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills are a must.
• Communication & Collaboration
  :
  Superior communication skills, capable of effectively interacting with all levels of staff, from the hourly workforce to senior management, and collaborating across various business functions.
• Commitment
  :
  Ability to work autonomously with a high level of initiative and priority setting. Must be available for approximately 50 hours per week, with flexibility to respond to business‑critical situations.

• Health Benefits – Offering choices so you can enroll in medical, dental, and vision plans that…