Assistant Plant Manager- Newark, NJ

Assistant Plant Manager

Pay Rate Range: $90k/yr- $120k/yr

Newark, NJ | Full-Time

Position Summary

The Assistant Plant Manager is responsible for leading and supporting the team responsible for daily operations, enforcing strict people and food safety standards, and optimizing production efficiency at our USDA and SQF- certified food manufacturing facility. The position will be a partner with the Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Warehouse, Quality Assurance, Finance, and Production teams to support uninterrupted manufacturing operations, maintain inventory accuracy, analyze operational data, and drive continuous process improvements.

This role reports directly to the Plant Manager.

Success in this role relies on minimizing downtime, hitting volume and cost targets, and maintaining the standards to ensure the safety of the team and our products.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Operations

· Lead daily manufacturing operations to ensure production schedules, quality standards, and operational objectives are achieved.

· Train and coach supervisors and management to recognize opportunities and understand their impact on operations.

· Partner with plant leadership team to resolve operational issues and improve efficiencies

· Coordinate with Production, Warehouse, Quality Assurance, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure smooth plant operations.

· Participate in daily operational meetings and communicate production priorities.

· Identify opportunities for continuous improvement through operational analysis and process optimization and implement solutions

· Monitor production performance against KPIs for safety, yield, cost, and delivery, initiating corrective action when gaps emerge.

· Implement and enforce safety protocols, environmental regulations, and company policies to ensure a safe working environment

Compliance & Food Safety

· Enforce SQF, HACCP, GMP, and applicable USDA and FDA regulatory requirements throughout all plant functions.

· Assist with internal and external regulatory audits.

Product & Inventory Analysis

· Maintain product master data, Bills of Materials (BOMs), item records, and inventory attributes within Net Suite.

· Analyze inventory trends, production data, purchasing activity, and product usage to improve inventory accuracy and operational performance.

· Develop and maintain operational reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for leadership.

· Generate reports and provide analytical support for Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain.

· Identify process improvement opportunities through data analysis and operational reporting.

· Monitor inventory KPIs and recommend corrective actions to improve inventory control.

Inventory Management

· Maintain inventory accuracy across all warehouse and production locations.

· Develop, coordinate, and oversee cycle count programs.

· Investigate inventory discrepancies and perform root cause analysis.

· Support physical inventories and month-end/year-end inventory reconciliation.

· Monitor inventory movement throughout production and warehouse operations.

· Ensure inventory transactions are completed accurately and timely.

Warehouse & Inventory Control

· Oversee inventory control processes across warehouse and production operations.

· Coordinate daily inventory activities and material movement.

· Support FIFO inventory practices and warehouse organization.

· Improve inventory visibility and material traceability.

Leadership & Collaboration

· Supervise, train, and coach shift supervisors and production line staff; manage performance evaluations and staffing needs.

· Train employees on inventory control procedures, Net Suite, and Vista Trac.

· Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs).

· Collaborate with cross-functional departments to improve operational performance.

· Support implementation of new systems, processes, and continuous improvement initiatives

· Work closely with quality assurance (QA), maintenance, and supply chain teams to resolve operational bottleneck

Qualifications

· Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

· 5–10 years in progressively responsible manufacturing roles,…