Senior Director Regional Bakery Operations

The Sr. Director of Operations is accountable for overseeing the performance and operations of multiple plants within their manufacturing region including the production of baked goods that meet quality, cost, and efficiency standards. The Sr. Director of Operations drives performance through the development of short and long-term operating goals and standards for continuous improvement, quality, cost reductions, production volumes & efficiencies, and safety. Responsible for financial reporting and providing feedback to management on plants’ profitability and to evaluate improvement against goals.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Oversee manufacturing operations for a multi-site region of commercial baking facilities to ensure each location achieves high performance standards in all manufacturing metrics & KPI’s.
• Lead a culture focused on continuous improvement in the areas of associate engagement, being a zero injury workplace, and delivering sustainable results.
• Partners with peers in matrix organizations including Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality Assurance, R&D, Sales, Human Relations, Finance, and other departments in order to coordinate all phases of operations and provide the best product and service to customers.
• Directly supervises Plant Leaders responsible for all aspects of production and achieving key performance measurements related to personnel safety, quality and food safety, service, and cost, while continually improving process reliability and performance.
• Development, assessment, modification, and implementation of standard procedures and operating systems in sanitation, safety, quality, preventative maintenance, and GMP’s. Track and ensure adherence to Quality, Safety, and Best Practice Implementation KPI’s.
• Build a culture of mutual respect, teamwork, and professionalism, demonstrating active support if the Company’s values and policies.
• Extend capabilities to meet market needs and support profitable growth of the products produced by the facility.
• Build an organization that is customer focused, flexible, and has a strong business acumen.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Business, Engineering, or a technical field a plus. Master’s degree or MBA is desirable
• 12 years of increasingly responsible manufacturing experience, at least 5 years which must be in the food industry.
• 8 years of direct management experience. Management of multiple plants and departments preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership of safety initiatives and track record leading the improvement of operations while delivering day to day performance.
• Strong understanding and exposure to the operations of all plant departments: production, quality, maintenance, materials management, controllership, etc.
• Participative management style and excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience building a strong management team and promoting teamwork in multiple locations across all departments.
• Strong business acumen and working knowledge of continuous improvement, equipment design and installation, project management, and financial reporting.

SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

This position requires the incumbent to have in-depth knowledge of baking science and technology, process control and improvement tools.

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies:

Results Orientation.

Change Leadership.

Learning and Adopting Best Practices.

Strategic Thinking with Business Insight.

People Oriented Leadership.