Director, Plant Operations

Job Summary

The Director of Plant Operations provides strategic and hands‑on leadership across all facets of manufacturing to achieve excellence in safety, quality, service, and cost performance. This role drives team development, efficiency, and continuous improvement while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and operational integrity that ensures compliance and long‑term business success.

• Operational Leadership:
  Lead all aspects of daily plant operations to achieve performance targets for safety, quality, service, and cost. Develop and implement manufacturing strategies to optimize throughput, efficiency, and resource utilization. Ensure effective coordination between departments to meet customer demands.
• Team Development & Leadership:
  Lead and motivate teams to ensure they meet their performance targets. Assist in the selection, supervision, and development of employees. Foster a culture of employee engagement, empowerment, and continuous learning.
• Cost Management:
  Manage operational cost performance to include staffing, turnover and monitoring over time. Oversee and manage the short‑ and long‑term departmental operation budgets and capital project requests. Assist in the analysis and submission of annual departmental budgets.
• Safety & Compliance:
  Lead a culture of safety and integrity that embeds proactive risk management, accountability, and continuous improvement into daily practices. Ensure collaboration of internal teams to strengthen audit readiness, mitigate operational risks, and uphold brand reputation.
• Continuous Improvement & Efficiency:
  Identify, recommend and execute continuous improvement initiatives in production operations including process, machinery, method and material changes in support of plant goals. Develop and streamline procedures for coordination of supply‑chain management with other functional areas.

• Bachelor’s Degree and a minimum of two years of work experience required, or minimum of six years of progressive job experience, including people management, multi‑level communication, and leadership required. Master’s Degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience of successful management practice, encompassing all facets of operations management.
• Prior experience in supply chain and financial management with the ability to interpret profit and loss statements.
• Effectively communicates and builds relationships at all organizational levels; ability to both present ideas and influence decisions at leadership level. Strong team player and motivated problem‑solver.
• Ability to effectively network across functions to positively influence outcomes.
• Has a demonstrated understanding of Lean principles, such as Value Stream Mapping, Process Flow Mapping, Measles Mapping, Continuous Improvement Processes, Kaizen, TPM, Six Sigma.

$127,931 - $150,506 a year

Heartland Coca‑Cola Bottling Company produces, sells, and distributes the highest quality and best tasting Coca‑Cola and Monster Beverages across the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Our brand offerings provide multiple beverage options in non‑alcoholic categories including sparkling soft drinks, water, ingredient‑enhanced, isotonics, tea, energy, juice, coffee and nutrition. We value our people, customers and community which drives our passion to work and win together as a team.

We offer a competitive benefits package to our full‑time employees including medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401(k), paid time off, wellness programs and tuition reimbursement. This role may be eligible to participate in an incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program.

Pre‑employment background check is required.

Heartland Coca‑Cola is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and any other class protected by law. Veteran friendly.