Artisan Kitchens is a premier co-manufacturer of refrigerated and frozen pre-cooked egg bite and omelet products for leading branded and private label Retail, Club, and Foodservice customers nationwide. The company operates a medium-scale production facility and employs a full-time staff of ~150 salaried and hourly employees. The company is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Director of Operations for our manufacturing facility located in Newberry, SC. This role is instrumental in driving our company's success and growth, and the ideal candidate will have an extreme ownership mentality and a strong background in getting results through others in a food manufacturing environment. The role requires a perfect balance of strategic leadership and a scrappy, entrepreneurial hands-on approach. The ideal candidate can effectively manage the gives and takes between conflicting interests while delivering results associated with the KPIs and the people. A firm understanding of USDA and/or FDA regulations and a history of championing continuous improvement are paramount to the success of this role.

Responsibilities:

• Owns and leads all aspects of Newberry operations to include safety, food safety and quality, production, sanitation, and warehousing; ensures efficiency and quality in all processes.
• Owns and manages the operations budget, while developing and implementing strategies to maximize profitability.
• Create, launch and lead continuous improvement initiatives that optimize operations, boost productivity, and foster a problem-solving organization. Be directly responsible for creating, driving, and growing a culture of teamwork, high performance, customer service, and continuous improvement
• Develop and implement operational policies and procedures to enhance operational efficiency. Responsible for eliminating unplanned downtime through preventative and predictive maintenance programs, as well as autonomous maintenance skills development.
• Collaborate with peers in HR, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance and Sales to align operational activities with business goals and profitability.
• Drive innovation in manufacturing processes, exploring new technologies and methodologies that enhance productivity.
• Directly manage a team of production, quality, maintenance, warehouse and sanitation managers; holds in high regard the responsibility to coach and mentor the team and unleash latent energy that drives exceptional results.
• Recognizes the diamonds in the rough and creates & administers development programs to make them shine.
• Establish and monitor performance metrics, taking corrective action as necessary to ensure KPIs are exceeded. Lead and participate in routine meetings where results are communicated and problem solved. Embraces that good ideas can come from anywhere.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field. A technical/engineering degree would be considered highly desirable.
• A minimum of 8 years of manufacturing operational leadership experience along with 4 years of experience in a Food manufacturing environment. MUST have previously managed managers.
• Proven experience in managing budgets, plant operations, and food manufacturing production management.
• Demonstrable track record of driving continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team.
• Knowledge of USDA and/or FDA regulations and food safety standards is required
• Experience with refrigerated and frozen supply chain operations is a strong positive
• Must live in proximity for direct daily oversight of manufacturing facility in Newberry, SC
• Previous Plant Management experience preferred