Plant Manager

POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Plant Manager serves as the senior leader responsible for the overall operational performance of a high-volume snack food manufacturing plant. T his role oversees all day-to-day plant activities and is accountable for safety, quality, service, cost, people, and culture. The Plant Manager leads cross-functional teams across production, maintenance, quality, warehouse, planning, and sanitation to ensure the efficient production of high-quality products in alignment with company standards and financial targets.

This position combines strategic leadership with hands‑on execution, translating company objectives into daily plant operations while driving operational excellence and continuous improvement. The Plant Manager plays a critical role in delivering the production plan, enhancing productivity and profitability, and fostering a safe, engaged, and high-performing workforce.

• Leads and manages all aspects of plant operations, including production, maintenance, quality, warehouse, planning, and sanitation, to ensure the safe, efficient, and timely manufacturing of high-quality products.
• Establishes and sustains a strong safety culture by promoting a zero-injury mindset; ensure full compliance with all OSHA, FDA, GMP, HACCP, and environmental regulations through proactive programs, audits, and corrective actions.
• Delivers the production plan on time and in full by optimizing operational performance, including OEE, labor efficiency, yield, and waste reduction, while identifying and eliminating constraints and bottlenecks.
• Partners with Quality to uphold the highest food safety and product standards; ensure adherence to all quality systems, maintain audit readiness, and lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for quality deviations.
• Builds, leads, and develops a high‑performing team by recruiting, training, and coaching supervisors and frontline employees; fosters a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement, while supporting succession planning and positive employee/labor relations.
• Owns and manages the plant’s financial performance, including the operating budget, labor and overtime costs, waste, and conversion costs; monitor expenditures and drive cost‑effective operations aligned with business objectives.
• Champions continuous improvement initiatives by implementing Lean manufacturing principles, 5S, and structured problem‑solving methodologies; lead kaizen events and leverage data and KPIs to drive performance and decision‑making.
• Ensures equipment reliability and optimal facility performance through strong partnership with maintenance; oversee preventive maintenance programs and manage capital improvement projects to support operational efficiency and long‑term growth.
• Collaborates cross‑functionally with Planning, Procurement, Engineering, Quality, and Distribution to align materials, staffing, and maintenance plans with production needs, including support for new product introductions and process changes.
• Tracks, analyzes, and reports key performance indicators related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people; communicate performance and improvement plans effectively to senior leadership.
• Performs other duties and special projects assigned to support plant operations and organizational objectives.

To perform this job successfully, the Plant Manager must be self‑motivated, detail‑oriented, and able to solve problems while staying focused on priorities. The following knowledge, skills, and abilities are required:

• Excellent planning, organizational, and time‑management skills, with the ability to balance production and maintenance priorities.
• Proven leadership and…