Director of Manufacturing

Valley Queen is a privately owned dairy manufacturer located in Milbank, South Dakota. Founded in 1929, Valley Queen has established itself as a leading producer of high-quality cheese and dairy ingredients, serving customers across the United States and around the world. Valley Queen processes nearly 3 billion pounds of milk each year, producing a diverse portfolio of products that includes natural cheeses, whey protein concentrate, lactose, and anhydrous milk fat.

At Valley Queen, we are dedicated to excellence, continuous improvement, and conducting our operations ethically. Our success is built on strong relationships with our employees, dairy producers, and the communities we serve. We take pride in offering meaningful career opportunities and aim to be the premier privately owned dairy manufacturer in the United States.

The Director provides strategic direction and organizational leadership for their area of responsibility which includes the Cheese Department, the Whey Department and all related Production Scheduling, serving as the critical bridge between executive strategy and operational execution. This role is accountable for translating Valley Queen priorities into clear departmental direction, executing strategic priorities, financial accountability and developing leadership capability at the Manager, Supervisor and Lead levels.

The Director ensures that people practices, systems, and performance expectations are in place so that execution occurs effectively and consistently throughout their organization and supports the company’s growth, profitability, and long-term success.

• Owns complete performance of their area of responsibility and ensures safety, quality, and efficiency standards are met.
• Establish, monitor, and deliver KPI’s aligned with organizational goals.
• Build and develop people into high-performing teams.
• Shapes Culture, Standards, and Leadership Behaviors.
• Owns succession planning and leadership pipeline.
• Ensures role clarity for leaders to prevent overlap and confusion.
• Defines what good looks like at Manager, Supervisor, and Lead levels.
• Driving accountability down through their leaders.
• Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, and continuous development.
• Develop a talent strategy to ensure the organization is prepared for future growth.
• Ensure their organization operates in alignment with company strategic priorities, policies, and performance expectations.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to translate strategic plans into actionable operational goals.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational performance and implement solutions that drive results.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, including environmental, food safety, and workplace safety standards.
• Execute continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency, waste reduction, and cost control.
• Utilize data and metrics to drive decision‑making and performance improvements.
• Responsible for the development and management of departmental operating budgets.
• Ensure successful execution of projects within scope, budget, and timeline.
• Foster open and constructive communication across departments and leadership levels.
• Collaborate with departments to ensure alignment and operational excellence.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience in the applicable area of responsibility.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience, including at least five (5) years in a leadership role, is required.
• Demonstrated success leading teams, developing strategy, managing business performance, and delivering results through others is essential.

• Leadership/Confidence
• Business Acumen
• Problem Solving/Analysis
• Technical Capacity

• Experience in dairy processing and familiar with standard industry concepts, practices and procedures.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.