Plant Manager at ofi North America; Olam Food Ingredients Oxnard, CA

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice President, Operations, the Plant Manager will be responsible for the production and logistics activities at the facility. This position will serve as the primary liaison to the Corporate Team and manage a multi‑shift operation across various departments. The Plant Manager will direct and control production operations within capital and operating budget parameters, formulate strategic production plans, and lead, develop and mentor plant leadership.

• Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring and guidance to plant management and associates, focusing on talent acquisition, retention, and development.
• Ensure safety, food safety, quality, product availability, customer service and cost performance by leading with a zero‑injury mentality and partnering with the Safety, Health and Sustainability representative to drive initiatives across the facility.
• Deliver the world’s greatest food and maintain high standards of excellence.
• Collaboratively work to delight customers every day and add value to the company.
• Develop scorecards and metrics to ensure the plant’s productivity meets targeted goals.
• Collect and analyze data to develop and implement continuous improvement initiatives to drive quality and production goals.
• Approve and implement changes to production methods or material handling procedures.
• Stay abreast of new and changing technology and regulatory requirements.
• Manage assigned teams to maintain sanitary conditions and assure ongoing Global Food Safety Initiatives certification.
• Provide insight and guidance to Finance teams to create the annual operating budget and adhere to the plant’s operating budget, including standard output and compliance to budget reports.
• Partner with Engineering to introduce new products, programs and capital equipment.
• Develop and implement labor strategies that align with demand and business priorities.
• Balance daily management with long‑term strategic planning to ensure business success.
• Set clear and meaningful performance expectations for direct reports and establish performance objectives for manufacturing support and direct labor associates.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree required, major in Food Processing, Engineering, Food Science or Business Administration preferred.
• Ten (10) years of progressive manufacturing management experience required, three (3) years of plant management experience strongly desired.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance or other operational excellence approaches strongly desired.
• Industry experience in spices, dry ingredients or pharmaceuticals with proven experience managing complex plants inclusive of multiple changeovers and varying bottle types.
• Complex bottle packaging experience on mid‑to‑high‑speed lines with high changeover strongly desired; experience managing lines above 100–150 units per minute.
• Retail packing experience strongly desired.
• Strong business acumen – ability to work with multiple stakeholders across functions and business lines.
• Proven ability to manage and train teams.
• Previous experience managing budgets and production financial data.
• Excellent planning and general management skills.
• Good computer skills – proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work well under pressure with multiple demands in a team environment.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

The pay for this role ranges from $175,000 to $200,000 and is based on the position responsibilities and geographic location. Actual pay within this range may be determined based on the candidate’s experience, qualifications and other factors.

• Vacation time from day 1 – accrues immediately and grows with tenure.
• Paid sick leave.
• Company paid holidays.
• 401(k) match on day 1.
• Career growth and learning opportunities.
• Paid volunteer time off, access to events and resources that support well‑being.
• Paid parental leave, fertility benefits and lactation support, including milk shipping for traveling employees.

Note:

This job description is not intended to be all‑inclusive. An employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: [email protected] At ofi, we celebrate our diversity.

Olam Americas LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.