Director of Operations​/Plant Manager

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Full Time Senior Management Haverhill, MA, US

Salary Range: $ To $ Annually

Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods is seeking an experienced Director of Operations / Plant Manager to lead our fast-paced, 24/7 food manufacturing operation in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

This is a senior plant leadership role with overall responsibility for operational performance, including production, quality, food safety, maintenance, warehousing, planning, productivity, cost control, and employee development
.

We are looking for a hands-on operations leader who understands high-volume food manufacturing, knows how to lead through managers and supervisors, and can establish clear expectations, measure performance, drive accountability, and continuously improve plant results.

This is a fully on-site position and is not remote or hybrid.

Provide overall leadership and accountability for plant operations and operational results across all shifts.

Lead, develop, and hold accountable a strong team of managers and supervisors.

Establish measurable goals and KPIs for production, productivity, labor efficiency, yield, waste, downtime, quality, safety, service, and cost.

Drive continuous improvement in throughput, efficiency, waste reduction, cost control, and overall plant performance.

Identify operational constraints and develop action plans to improve capacity and production results.

Oversee capacity and production planning and translate production requirements into effective operating plans.

Ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place for equipment downtime, staffing challenges, material shortages, quality issues, and other operational disruptions.

Evaluate labor, material, waste, productivity, and operating costs and identify opportunities for improved resource utilization.

Partner closely with Quality, Maintenance, Planning, Warehousing, HR, R&D, Sales, and Marketing.

Maintain overall accountability for compliance with OSHA, GMP, HACCP, SQF, and other applicable food-safety requirements.

Partner with Quality leadership on audits, corrective actions, investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Ensure safety, food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements are fully integrated into operational planning and decision-making.

Work closely with Sales and Marketing to align operational capabilities with customer requirements, new business opportunities, product launches, and changing market demands.

Support R&D and commercialization efforts related to new products, manufacturing capabilities, and process improvements.

Identify opportunities for process, equipment, technology, and organizational improvements.

Provide senior leadership with regular reporting on plant performance, challenges, opportunities, and progress toward operational goals.

Develop employees for increased responsibility and succession opportunities.

Minimum of 5 years of progressive management leadership experience
, preferably in a high-volume, multi-faceted food manufacturing environment.

Demonstrated experience leading plant operations through managers and supervisors across multiple shifts.

Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, capacity planning, production planning, operational KPIs, and continuous improvement.

Working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, SQF, OSHA, and food-safety requirements
.

Strong understanding of labor, material, waste, productivity, and operating costs.

Proven ability to establish goals, measure performance, solve problems, and drive accountability.

Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and…