General Manager

Position Summary

The General Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and strategic direction of the manufacturing facility. This role oversees operations, maintenance, sanitation, procurement, safety, regulatory compliance, and capital planning.

This position requires a hands-on leader who can operate both strategically and tactically within a developing, non–high-volume food manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Provide full-site leadership and accountability for plant performance, safety, quality, and cost control.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and support growth.
• Partner with senior leadership to align plant objectives with company goals.
• Establish KPIs and performance metrics to monitor productivity and operational effectiveness.

Regulatory & Food Safety Oversight

• Ensure compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, GMPs, and food safety standards.
• Possess strong working knowledge and practical experience with GFSI-recognized standards, particularly the BRCGS Food Safety Standard.
• Ensure the consistent production of safe, legal, authentic, and quality products in compliance with regulatory, customer, and certification requirements.
• Provide adequate resources, competent personnel, appropriate infrastructure, and effective training programs to maintain and continuously improve the Food Safety and Quality Management System in line with BRCGS requirements.
• Maintain continuous audit readiness, including preparation for and participation in internal audits, third-party certification audits, regulatory inspections, and customer audits.
• Demonstrate leadership commitment to food safety culture and drive continuous improvement initiatives across the site.
• Ensure maintenance, sanitation, and operational documentation is complete and audit-ready.
• Working with departments to ensure corrective and preventive action initiatives when required.

Maintenance & Engineering Leadership

• Oversee preventive and predictive maintenance programs for all production equipment and facility systems.
• Evaluate and improve mechanical, electrical, and life safety systems to reduce operating costs and increase reliability.
• Lead maintenance planning, emergency response, and capital repair projects.
• Manage contractor relationships and ensure value-engineered solutions for facility upgrades and repairs.
• Develop long-term asset management and capital improvement plans.

Sanitation & Facility Management

• Oversee plant sanitation programs in alignment with food safety standards.
• Ensure coordination between sanitation and production to optimize uptime.
• Maintain facility infrastructure to meet operational and regulatory requirements.

Procurement & Cost Management

• Oversee procurement of production equipment, parts, and facility-related supplies.
• Manage vendor relationships and negotiate service agreements.
• Develop and manage Maintenance and Sanitation budgets.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising safety or compliance.

Health, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
• Implement and monitor company Health & Safety programs.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies prior to execution of major maintenance or facility projects.
• Coordinate with local authorities during emergencies (fire, flood, power outages, environmental incidents).

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing, plant operations, or industrial management.
• Proven experience overseeing multi-functional plant operations (maintenance, sanitation, compliance, procurement).
• Strong working knowledge of FDA regulations, GMPs, and food safety audit requirements.
• Experience leading capital projects and managing operating budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to build systems and processes in a growing or evolving facility.
• Strong leadership presence with a hands-on, solution-oriented approach.

Leadership Profile

• Strategic thinker with operational discipline
• Comfortable working in a developing, lower-volume environment
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities
• Able to balance cost control with compliance and quality
• Builds accountability and ownership within teams