Group Director Manufacturing Grand Rapids

Overview

Position Summary
The Group Director, Manufacturing leads operational performance across multiple manufacturing facilities. This role directs Site Operations Leaders, ensuring consistent execution of safety, food safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost targets. The position partners closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Food Safety & Quality, Engineering, R&D, and our Commercial teams to deliver safe, high performing and cost-effective operations. This is a remote role but you must reside in the Grand Rapids area.

• Operational Leadership:
  Lead operational performance across multiple manufacturing plants. Ensure standardized manufacturing processes, policies, and KPIs across sites. Drive adherence to GMP, HACCP, and GFSI (SQF/BRCGS) food safety requirements. Oversee production planning, labor optimization, material usage, and equipment utilization.
• Safety, Quality & Compliance:
  Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with regulatory and internal standards. Maintain audit readiness and corrective action processes. Uphold high standards in sanitation, quality systems, and documentation.
• Continuous Improvement & Lean/TPM:
  Lead Lean, CI, TPM/IWS initiatives to improve OEE, yield, throughput, waste, and cost. Implement structured problem solving and loss elimination processes. Facilitate best practice sharing and standard work replication across the network.
• Digital Transformation & Automation:
  Identify and implement automation, digital manufacturing tools (MES/SCADA/CMMS), and analytics that enhance performance. Drive data driven decision making and real time visibility of key performance metrics.
• Financial Ownership:
  Manage plant financial performance: labor models, conversion costs, capital budgets, inventory health, and cost to serve. Improve margin through waste reduction, productivity, mix optimization, and CAPEX execution.
• Customer & Commercial Interface:
  Support commercialization, capacity planning, and customer requirements. Ensure world class fulfillment and performance for strategic CPG partners. Oversee customer audits, scorecards, and product launch readiness.
• People Leadership:
  Lead, coach, and develop Plant Managers and cross functional site leaders. Build succession plans and talent pipelines. Foster high engagement, accountability, and inclusive leadership.

• Senior manufacturing leadership experience in food, bakery, snacks, CPG, contract manufacturing, or high‑volume processing; typically a minimum of 12 years in a food manufacturing environment, with packaging experience a plus.
• Proven multi-plant leadership or demonstrated year-over-year performance improvement at plant level.
• Strong financial acumen (P&L, cost structures, yields, labor models).
• Expertise in Lean, Continuous Improvement, and TPM/IWS systems.
• Experience implementing automation and digital manufacturing technologies.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills.
• Ability to travel across sites and manage across time zones.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ERP experience (SAP preferred).
• Preferred qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Certifications:
  
  Lean/Six Sigma, TPM/IWS, APICS, or ASQ.
• Experience in commercialization, co-manufacturing, or customer audit processes.
• Union and non-union plant leadership experience.

The pay range for this full-time, salaried position is $181,604 - $272,406/year. Individual base pay depends on work location and factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. The position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive based on company and individual performance. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment.

This information is provided per the relevant state and local pay transparency laws for the location in which this position will be performed. Base pay information is based on market location.

Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.