Plant Manager

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Production General Full Time Iron Ridge, WI, US

2 days ago Requisition

The Plant Manager is responsible for the safe, compliant, and cost-effective production of seasonings, rubs, and sauces. This role translates the Director of Operations’ priorities into daily execution across blending, liquid and sauce processing, packaging, sanitation, quality, warehousing, and shipping and receiving. With Quality reporting through Operations, the Plant Manager is accountable for both production results and product quality. Working through supervisors and team leads, the Plant Manager builds reliable operating systems and develops a strong leadership bench to sustain consistent performance without constant direct involvement.

The ideal candidate brings a strong background in food manufacturing, plant leadership, food safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

• Lead a safety-first culture across all shifts and areas of the plant.
• Own incident prevention, investigation, and corrective action, and ensure OSHA compliance.
• Ensure required PPE, safeguards, lockout/tagout, and safety training are in place and followed.

• Work with the Quality team, including QA and QC, to ensure product quality from incoming materials through finished goods.
• Align with QA on quality checks, testing, specifications, and release; hold, investigate, and disposition nonconforming product before it reaches a customer.
• Track quality measures such as complaints, holds, rework, and first-pass quality, and drive root-cause corrective action.
• Monitor supplier and ingredient performance and partner with Purchasing to resolve quality issues.
• Partner with Regulatory & Compliance to uphold GMPs, food-safety plans, allergen control, sanitation, and SQF requirements, and maintain audit and inspection readiness.

• Deliver the production schedule while protecting on-time shipments and customer service.
• Work with Planning, Purchasing, and the warehouse so materials, labor, and equipment are ready before each run.
• Lead daily and weekly production meetings; track output, downtime, yield, and schedule attainment, and close gaps quickly.

• Own plant labor, overtime, material yield, waste, and spending against budget.
• Build the annual plant budget and capital requests with the Director of Operations.
• Deliver measurable commitments and corrective action when results fall short.

• Ensure accurate production and inventory reporting, including job completion and pallet records.
• Maintain proper management and closure of production.
• Partner with inventory team ensuring inventory accuracy.
• Lead continuous improvement in changeovers, throughput, yield, and use structured problem-solving.
• Partner with Maintenance on preventive maintenance and equipment reliability for seasoning and sauce lines.
• Evaluate and recommend equipment and process improvements that support growth.

• Hire, develop, and lead production supervisors, leads, and the Quality team, and build backup coverage for critical roles.
• Set clear expectations, follow up consistently, and address attendance, conduct, and performance issues promptly and fairly with HR.
• Create standard work, training, and qualification plans so results do not depend on any one person.
• Foster a culture of safety, food safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the plant.

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Business, or a related field, or…