Plant Manager

Position Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of production operations in a high-volume food manufacturing facility. This role ensures that safety, quality, productivity, cost, and employee engagement goals are met or exceeded. The Plant Manager provides leadership to department managers and teams across production, maintenance, quality assurance, sanitation, and warehousing to deliver consistent, efficient, and safe operations that meet customer and business expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead daily operations for the manufacturing plant, ensuring achievement of production schedules, product quality standards, and delivery timelines.
• Translate company objectives into actionable plans across production, maintenance, sanitation, and warehouse departments.
• Develop and maintain efficient production systems for mixing, baking, cooling, packaging, and palletizing of cookie and cracker products.
• Partner with other departments on process improvements, new product launches, and equipment commissioning.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a zero-injury culture through proactive safety leadership and compliance with OSHA, FDA, FSMA, and other regulatory standards.
• Ensure all employees follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and adhere to plant safety and sanitation procedures.
• Conduct routine plant inspections and audits to identify and correct unsafe conditions.

Quality & Food Safety

• Work alongside QA and oversee Sanitation teams to maintain SQF certification and meet all customer and regulatory food safety standards.
• Drive continuous improvement in quality performance, waste reduction, and consumer satisfaction.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented and documented effectively.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop salaried and hourly plant employees to build a high-performance, engaged workforce.
• Manage staffing levels, training, performance evaluations, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and open communication.

Continuous Improvement & Cost Control

• Continually work to drive process improvement and reduce downtime, waste, and costs.
• Analyze production metrics (yield, OEE, throughput, scrap, downtime) and implement data-driven solutions to enhance performance.
• Manage plant budget and cost control initiatives to meet financial objectives.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Partner with the Maintenance Manager to ensure preventive maintenance programs are executed effectively, minimizing unplanned downtime.
• Support capital projects, new equipment installations, and plant expansion initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing, with at least 3 years in a plant or operations management role.
• Strong knowledge of baking, extrusion, or snack production processes
• Proven track record of achieving production, safety, and quality targets.
• Experience managing SQF certified facilities preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Safety (TRIR, near misses)
• Quality (customer complaints, holds, audit scores)
• Production efficiency (OEE, throughput, yield)
• Labor and material cost performance
• Employee engagement and turnover
• On-time and in-full (OTIF) delivery

Work Environment

• Fast-paced food manufacturing plant with exposure to high heat, noise, and moving machinery.
• Role requires on-site presence and frequent interaction with production floor personnel.
• Occasional off-shift or weekend work as needed to support operations.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $110,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance

Ability to Commute:

• Ferndale, WA 98248 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Ferndale, WA 98248: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $110,000 - $140,000