Plant Manager

SUMMARY

In alignment with our company’s core values of family and commitment, we are dedicated to providing the Best Cheese in the World to our patrons and customers, while fostering a safe, healthy, and engaging working environment for every team member. The Plant Manager plays a pivotal role in advancing this mission. The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing daily operations to ensure consistent product quality, operational efficiency, safety, and compliance with food safety standards. This role includes leading and developing staff, maintaining regulatory compliance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet production goals and business objectives.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Team Leadership: Inspires and leads a team of cheesemake manufacturing professionals, maintenance technicians, and front-line team members, embedding a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Drives the team's adoption of data-driven decision-making to achieve superior performance.
• Ensures the plant leaders deliver expected results related to motivating, hiring, training, and coaching all team members.
• Ensures all team member experience activities are addressed in an effective and timely manner.
• Fosters a proactive, solutions-oriented culture and acts as a visible leader who reinforces accountability and collaboration.
• Creates a team-oriented, cross-functional atmosphere with emphasis on customer satisfaction, quality, productivity, morale, and open communication to all Team Members.
• Creates and implements a succession plan for key positions utilizing Sartori Success Plans, internal and external training.
• Driven Decision Making: In conjunction with the Director of Manufacturing and Analytics, applies analytical techniques, KPIs, and dashboards to drive efficient plant operations, yield, and mass balance. Mentors front-line supervision in the effective use of data in managing shift operations.
• Process Optimization: Leads cross-functional projects to enhance production yield, maximize throughput, and minimize waste, ensuring these improvements do not compromise product quality. Develop and implement countermeasures to address plant inefficiencies.
• Cross-functional collaboration leadership: Serves as the primary point of contact for functional departments (HR, QA, R&D, Maintenance, Engineering, Finance).
• Regulatory and Company Compliance Oversight: Ensures the execution of the company's safety, security, environmental, and quality programs. Modifies plant processes to ensure compliance as required.
• Capital Project Leadership: Develops and implements forward planning, ensuring alignment with safety and quality standards, and plant capacity and practices exceed forecasted growth.
• Budget Management: Prepares and manages plant budget proactively, planning for continuous cost improvement, and implements countermeasures addressing overspend against budget.
• Safe Quality Food (SQF): Maintains compliance with SQF audit requirements and ensures ongoing food safety and quality across operations. The Director of Manufacturing and Analytics position serves as the backup to ensure the integrity of the SQF System.

DIRECT REPORTS

This position directly leads a team of production supervisors.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing management, engineering, business, and/or related experience is required.

• Minimum of 8 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment, with a proven track record of driving continuous quality, safety, and productivity improvement, is required.

• Experience within the food, pharmaceutical, or chemical industries is preferred.

 SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Alignment with Company Values: Demonstrates behaviors and values that reflect the company’s culture. Sartori’s core values are family, commitment, authenticity, ingenuity, integrity, and humility.
• Analytical Acumen: Ability to draw complex conclusions from data using analytical methods.
• Strategic Vision: Possesses a strategic mindset with the ability to translate business goals into an actionable framework for manufacturing operations.
• Continuous Improvement: Embodies a mindset focused on continuous improvement, leveraging analytics to drive transformational results.
• Leadership and Influence: Proven ability to lead and influence teams and stakeholders, driving a data-centric culture across the organization.
• Coaching: Effectively coaches and mentors others, providing guidance that enhances performance and facilitates development while building confidence.
• Effective Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex analytical insights to diverse audiences.
• Decision Quality: Makes informed, timely decisions using a blend of analytical insights, experience, and sound judgment.
• Learning Agility: Shows a high level of intellectual curiosity and an eagerness to learn and adapt to new analytical techniques and industry trends.
• Relationship Building: Builds and maintains trusting relationships and alliances both inside and outside the organization, fostering collaboration and innovation.
• Results driven – Leverages a collaborative approach to achieve results that promote Sartori’s success.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WORK LOCATION

This is an onsite position based in Antigo, WI.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS 

Occasional travel is required to meet the needs of the business (20%).  Off-shift work is required as needs arise. A valid driver’s license is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talk or hear. The Team Member is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

 WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

When entering the production facility, the Team Member is occasionally exposed to cold working conditions and/or moving mechanical parts. The noise level is moderate while in the plant. This position requires occasional off-shift work.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by Team Members assigned to this work.  This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities.  Sartori Company reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational and business needs as necessary.