Director of Manufacturing Operations
3 days ago
Clearwater
The Manufacturing Plant Director will direct daily operations across our production, packaging, warehousing, and maintenance functions — ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant output that meets our quality standards and customer commitments. You will own production scheduling, budgeting, staffing, and continuous improvement, with a direct line to senior leadership on performance and strategy. This is a high-ownership, on-the-floor leadership role. The right candidate is both a systems thinker and a hands-on operator — someone who can build the structure, coach the team, and step in where needed. What You’ll Do Operations Leadership • Direct daily manufacturing operations across production, packaging, warehousing, and maintenance to ensure smooth workflow and consistent achievement of production targets., • Develop and manage production schedules that balance customer demand, inventory levels, and facility capacity., • Identify and eliminate bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and waste through lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives. Safety & Compliance • Enforce rigorous food safety standards including HACCP and GMPs across all facility operations, ensuring zero-compromise compliance., • Maintain full compliance with OSHA occupational health standards and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations., • Ensure the facility is audit-ready at all times for FDA, USDA, SQF, and customer-driven inspections. Quality & Sanitation • Maintain high and consistent product quality standards across all production runs; oversee sanitation protocols and ensure strict adherence to customer specifications., • Partner with Quality teams to investigate deviations, lead root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions that prevent recurrence., • Champion a quality-first mindset across all departments — from raw material intake through finished goods release. Performance & Efficiency • Establish, track, and analyze KPIs across production, quality, safety, and cost; use data to drive decisions and hold teams accountable., • Implement and sustain lean manufacturing practices to improve throughput, reduce waste, and optimize cost-efficiency across the facility. People Leadership • Recruit, train, evaluate, and develop plant staff; build a bench of capable, motivated operators and supervisors who own their work., • Ensure adequate scheduling and staffing levels to meet production demands without sacrificing team well-being. Budget & Strategic Planning • Own and manage the plant’s operating budget; identify cost reduction opportunities while maintaining quality and compliance standards., • Partner with senior leadership on strategic planning, capital investments, and facility expansion as the business scales. What You’ll Bring • Proven management experience in a food processing or manufacturing environment, with demonstrated ability to lead large, multi-functional teams., • Deep technical knowledge of food safety systems including HACCP, GMPs, SQF, CIP (Clean in Place) and ISO quality management frameworks., • Hands-on experience with production machinery, maintenance operations, and sanitation programs., • Strong command of lean manufacturing methodologies and a track record of driving measurable efficiency gains., • Solid understanding of regulatory requirements including FDA, USDA, and OSHA standards., • Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills — comfortable on the floor and in the boardroom., • Proficient with production and business systems; able to translate data into operational decisions., • Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered. This Describes You • Floor-First Leader — You lead from the front. Your team knows you’re present, engaged, and invested in their success and safety every single day., • Relentless on Standards — Safety, quality, and compliance aren’t checkboxes for you. They are the baseline, and you hold everyone — including yourself — to them without exception., • Systems Thinker — You see the whole operation, not just the parts. You identify inefficiencies before they become problems and build processes that hold up under pressure., • People Developer — You invest in your team. You coach, develop, and challenge the people around you because you know that great operations are built by great people., • Calm Under Pressure — When equipment fails or demand spikes, you don’t panic — you problem-solve. You bring steadiness and clarity when the environment is anything but.