Plant Director

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

The Director of Manufacturing for our Owen, Wisconsin site will be accountable for leading an ambitious, change-oriented and forward-looking operational agenda focused on transformation and growth, responsive to a fast-changing world and becoming more consumer and customer centric though cost-efficient agile operations.

Reporting to the VP of Operations and working as part of the Food leadership team, you will be responsible for shaping the operational strategy which will focus on sustainable, profitable growth and performance while working closely with a broad cross-functional group of internal and external stakeholders.

• Create a compelling vision and strategy for Owen operation that aligns with the overall technology strategy and ensure that teams are highly engaged in delivery
• Develop proactive, responsive and effective relationships with key customers and suppliers – with a high degree of customer intimacy and supplier engagement
• Play a key leadership role on the Divisional Leadership Team, as a key contributor to the technology strategy development and business performance
• Develop and execute an operational strategy that drives business performance and is fully aligned to growth and margin expansion priorities
• Support the site leadership team to deliver excellent day-to-day operational performance across all key efficiency, service-level, safety, quality, and people indicators
• Create a high performance, collaborative and empowered leadership culture, influencing and engaging at all levels across the organizational matrix
• Ensure that the technology manufacturing footprint and capability is fit for purpose by proactively interpreting and planning timely response to changes in the market and in anticipating and responding to customer requirements
• Lead key strategic forward-looking change initiatives and operational projects around capital investment, performance and cultural change
• Key contributor to the development of an aligned approach to Operations best practice across the whole of Kerry
• Develop a pipeline of high performing & high potential talent within all functional areas of operations – with a positive, proactive and change oriented mind-set
• Lead by demonstrating the behavioral prerequisites that support the Kerry Production System and the Kerry Manufacturing Standard

You will already be a successful and dynamic leader or senior functional expert who has the capability and ambition to progress into a bigger or broader role over time with an existing track record of the following

• Effective leadership and delivery of excellent operational performance and results through engagement and development of teams
• Experience of active engagement and partnership development with key external stakeholders including major customers and suppliers
• Track record of delivering key strategic change initiatives, and ideally of successfully managing major capital investment activity
• Leading-edge operations skill set including modern day operations best practice
• Deep and broad functional expertise in all aspects of Manufacturing Operations including Supply Chain, Technical, Engineering & Finance

Bachelor Degree Engineering, Chemistry or Manufacturing

10+ years experience with minimal of 5 years in a leadership role at Food or Beverage manufacturing facility

Demonstrated leadership excellence with the ability to strengthen the company’s operational capability through honed skills, a process-discipline-mindset, and impact that builds credibility and inspires confidence.

Commitment to operational excellence, where continuous improvement and…