Director of Plant Operations

Job Purpose and Overview

The Plant Director leads, develops, and implements strategies to manage and optimize the resources (people, materials, equipment, money and time) used to transform and produce the food products the business commercializes, guaranteeing that customer expectation on quality, volume, cost and timing of the service, are achieved, and the business results are aligned.

Relocation support is available for candidates who meet eligibility criteria and require relocation for this role.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Actively manage industrial safety in the operation of the plant and warehouses to guarantee a safe environment for all team members and avoid accidents
• Manages security at the facility and protects assets
• Manages the site's environmental sustainability and compliance with all government regulations and internal rules
• Actively manages food safety to avoid microbiological, foreign material, or chemical deviations that could develop into a health risk for consumers, and guarantees compliance with food regulations, GMPs, HACCP, and BRC standards and Quality System
• Actively manages product quality, making sure the Product Design is replicated continuously and guaranteeing a delightful experience for customers and consumers with all products, and making the company brand equity value grow through time
• Guarantees that government, certification organization, and customer audits achieve positive results in order to keep the business at a competitive level in every market
• Guarantees that the production schedules are achieved in time and volume, to protect the service to the customer and the cost of the goods
• Manages the maintenance of the equipment, building, and assets in general to guarantee their productivity over time
• Manages the inventory levels and warehouses in the plant to optimize inventory, maintain a good service level, and protect cash flow
• Participates and is co-responsible for all capital investments, making sure they are the correct decisions to keep the business growth, and they are executed on time and on budget
• Actively participates and drives a continuous improvement program to improve the competitiveness of the business and its products, while improving safety, quality, output, and cost to World Class Manufacturing standards
• Coordinates a team of people, direct and indirect reports, ensuring they have clear and aligned objectives, priorities, and values that unite them into one single effort, permitting a good level of collaboration
• Together with the People Team, provide support to the extended team, making sure proper training is provided to guarantee individual and team performance at every level, enhancing the team’s professional growth
• Together with the People and Compensation teams, responsible for hiring, promoting, disciplining, as well as compensation decisions in adherence to company policy
• Works with Research & Development and Marketing to create and launch new products successfully
• Understands and promotes the philosophies and policies of the company
• Plans, develops, and shares information regarding his site; KPI reporting, budgets, project control, etc.

Requirements

• A minimum of a high school diploma or general education degree (GED) is required
• A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or a minimum of 14 years of equivalent experience
• A Master’s Degree is preferred
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred
• Food science is preferred
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in directly leading people in a manufacturing plant environment, specifically from the highest level and/or a key decision maker within the plant; relevant experience in the manufacturing of food and/or bakery products is preferred
• Experience operating in a unionized labor environment is a plus
• Requires operational knowledge of computer software (Microsoft Office and SAP) or the ability to learn these skills
• Requires excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills
• Requires analytical problem-solving skills, time management skills, and servant leadership skills
• Exposure to and experience with GMPs and BRC Standards, HAACP programs, USDA guidelines, OSHA standards, food safety, and plant safety programs
• Demonstrated history of continuous improvement, lean tools, and cost control
• Bilingual proficiency is a plus

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The normal setting for this role is on-site at the Denver, CO, manufacturing plant
• Frequent standing, pushing, pulling, bending, reaching, stooping, and squatting
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to grasp, move, or utilize objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and frequently team lift and/or move 25 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus