Department: Operations

Reports to: VP of Operations

Thrive Freeze Dry is a rapidly growing Freeze-Dried company that is actively recruiting for a Plant Manager in American Fork, UT. The Plant Manager will oversee and manage plant-manufacturing operations. In striving to obtain and then maintain operational excellence, this individual will provide leadership in driving safety culture, establishing metrics, driving process improvements, and developing team members to reach their potential.

Essential Functions Include:

• The Plant Manager will drive strategic decisions that will help the company achieve its revenue and profitability goals. 
• Manage plant operations to ensure all safety, quality, production, and profitability goals are met. 
• Identify improvement initiatives and lead continuous improvement efforts, focusing on process improvements, efficiency, and organizational capability. 
• Achieve forecasted financial and cost performance targets and operating metrics.
• Make sure the plant is in full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local policies including, USDA, FDA, FSMA, EPA, OSHA, and HACCP regulations along with any programs that support SQF. 
• Assist with creating operating budgets and capital budgets for the plant operations. 
• Develop short- and long-term cost containments and reduction strategies.
• Set up and maintain efficient production processes, including written SOP’s, to attain plant efficiency goals. 
• Provide leadership throughout the plant, promoting a positive work environment. Oversee staffing strategy to ensure competent personnel coverage and training is completed while maintaining the team’s motivation to accomplish all manufacturing and warehousing plans and objectives. 
• Actively engage employees by fostering an environment of learning and continuous improvement. Properly schedule personnel to ensure production schedules are met in a cost-effective manner.

Qualifications Include: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent, with a concentration in Food Science, Operations, or equivalent, required. 
• 10 years of food manufacturing experience required. 
• Demonstrated progressive supervisory experience on a plant floor. 
• Thorough knowledge of effective and efficient manufacturing methods. 

Physical Requirements: Must be able to perform the following functions with or without accommodations:

• Consistent and reliable attendance
• Ability to occasionally work varied shifts
• Ability to travel overnight
• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; occasional stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and frequent fine finger dexterity.
• 50% or more sitting, 50% or more walking, and 40% or more standing.
• The job is performed under occasional temperature variations and in a food manufacturing production environment.
• Unrestricted visual and audio abilities are required for the safety of all employees. The ability to lift to 40 lbs. is required.