New Lenox
NLX Beverage Solutions, LLC firmly believes that our employees are the heart of our success. This position description is designed to outline primary duties and qualifications, but not limit one to specified duties, to ensure individual and group success. Job Summary: The Plant Manager is expected to direct all areas of manufacturing in a safe, effective, and efficient manner for future business growth. They establish and improve processes, procedures, and measures to ensure the highest levels of manufacturing performance to meet customer requirements in accordance with Safety, Sanitation, Quality, Quantity, and Cost. They are an active member of the NLXs’ Safety and Quality Teams, responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures regarding food safety are followed. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Operations: • Always adhere to safe working practices as outlined by OSHA industry standards. Ensure and promote a safe working environment for all employees, • Strive to deliver a “Right the First Time” culture in terms of Safety, Sanitation, and Quality, • Promoting and upholding company performance standards and ideology (on-time delivery, quality, continuous improvement, and work ethic), • Build a highly engaged workforce through positive engagement, creating an environment where NLX is recognized as the employer of choice in the local community, • Deliver, mentor, and coach the NLX Core values, • Ensure all daily production targets are met and that all products meet company and client specifications, • Identify opportunities to enhance yield recovery whilst maintaining specifications, • Continuous improvement and Margin Delivery to be a mantra. Develop continuous improvement plans to improve safety, sanitation, quality, quantity, and cost, • Partner with HR to support employee policies and programs that specifically promote an environment of accountability and team building, • Leadership oversight and ownership towards ensuring all new hire experiences are world-class through a robust onboarding plan and welcoming agenda, • Accurate and timely completion of required documentation for internal and global reporting. Report on weekly KPI’s and generation of performance data, • Identify new areas, technologies, and opportunities in manufacturing operations, leading medium capital projects, • Ensure good manufacturing practices are developed, organized, sustained, and Root Cause Analysis for major downtime events conducted, • Control all associated operational costs according to the prevailing annual budget forecast, • Conduct required team meetings and take an active role in the Senior Management team as and when required, • Responsible for the security of the buildings and grounds, • Ensure all plant operations are in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations (OSHA, EPA, FDA, EEOC, DOT, etc), • Travel as necessary, • Key development towards people safety and food safety culture, • Actual to Budget performance, • Development of direct reports, • Customer Satisfaction, • Outside audit scores, • Plant safety record Education and Skills • BS/BA in Food Science, Engineering, Business Administration, plus 10 years relevant experience in a production/manufacturing setting; aseptic experience is a plus, • Proven record of leading safety-first cultures; deep understanding of OSHA and EHS compliance, • Strong communication and public speaking skills; ability to lead meetings and presentations with large groups, • Experienced in mentoring and developing leaders within manufacturing organizations, • Demonstrated success managing large-scale capital projects, including vendor selection, equipment procurement, installation, and ramp-up, • Familiarity with third-party food safety and regulatory audits (e.g., FDA, SQF, BSI, Organic, Kosher, Halal, GFSI), • Extensive experience working with OEMs and vendors across processing, packaging, automation, sanitation, and facility systems, • Skilled in setting KPIs and using data to drive plant performance and continuous improvement, • In-depth experience managing procurement, supply chain, and materials flow in a manufacturing environment, • Proficient in Lean, Six Sigma, and CI practices, with a pragmatic approach to implementation, • Experience managing commercialization of new products and onboarding new customers, including plant tours and cross-functional engagement with R&D, quality, supply chain, and marketing, • Background in managing 24/7 operations and large-scale teams (200+ employees), including multi-site coordination and team building Physical Demands: • Willingness to work additional hours, and tailor schedule appropriately, to support team goals and meet deadlines, • Must possess adequate vision, hearing, and verbal communication skills to meet essential job performance and safety standards, • Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and regularly perform physical tasks such as pushing, pulling, lifting, climbing, bending, stooping, squatting, and using hands for detailed tasks, • Work environment sometimes involves exposure to inclement weather, • Physically capable of performing tasks such as lifting, climbing, and using hand and power tools, including pallet jacks, scales, ladders, and standard material handling and cleaning equipment, • Capable of safely lifting up to 50 pounds frequently throughout the day; ability to handle heavier items with proper lifting equipment or team-assisted techniques to ensure safety Work Environment: • Employees must be able to work in a dynamic manufacturing environment that may include exposure to odors, dust, moderate noise levels, and fluctuations in temperature and ventilation, • Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn at all times, which may include but is not limited to: safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, gloves, hairnets, uniforms, and face shields, as required by specific job duties and safety protocols