What are the responsibilities and job description for the Plant Manager position at Alpha Executive Search?
PLANT MANAGER
Iowa | Onsite | Relocation Assistance Available
Lead the plant. Drive performance. Build a strong culture.
We’re seeking an experienced Plant Manager with pork slaughter experience to lead overall plant operations, safety, quality, productivity, cost control, and employee engagement. This is a highly visible leadership role with responsibility for operations management and hourly teams, as well as cross-functional oversight of support functions including Sanitation, Shipping, Maintenance, and Engineering.
What You’ll Do
- Lead day-to-day plant operations with a strong focus on safety, food quality, productivity, efficiency, and profitability.
- Drive continuous improvement in labor, yields, raw material utilization, waste, and operating costs.
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, CCPs, SSOPs, USDA, and company food safety requirements.
- Lead safety initiatives, including ergonomics, injury reduction, safety training, and the plant Safety Committee.
- Develop, coach, and lead a high-performing team; oversee hiring, training, performance management, and employee relations.
- Partner with HR and production leadership to build a strong workplace culture and develop future leaders.
- Maintain a productive relationship with UFCW Local 2 and ensure compliance with the collective bargaining agreement.
- Collaborate with vendors, suppliers, USDA, and corporate leadership to support plant goals and continuous improvement.
What You Bring
- Must have pork and slaughter experience.
- 10 years of plant experience, including significant supervisory/management responsibility.
- Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Animal Science, Business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Proven leadership experience in a food manufacturing/meat processing environment.
- Strong understanding of food safety, USDA requirements, HACCP, safety, labor management, and plant financial performance.
- Experience leading teams in a union environment strongly preferred.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and drive accountability at all levels.
This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on plant performance, culture, and profitability while leading a team in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.