Operations Manager - Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Position Summary

The Operations Manager oversees day-to-day production, quality, and logistics for a food & beverage manufacturing operation in Leominster, MA. This direct-hire, onsite leadership role manages manufacturing, quality, and logistics employees — including temporary workers — to meet daily and weekly fulfillment targets while maintaining compliance with food safety, quality, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, and workplace safety requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Manage production, quality, warehouse, and logistics operations to meet daily and weekly fulfillment targets.
• Lead a team of manufacturing, quality, and logistics employees, including temporary workers.
• Coordinate employee schedules, daily assignments, workflows, and operational priorities.
• Coach and develop potential team leads to strengthen leadership capabilities within the department.

Planning & Continuous Improvement

• Coordinate raw materials and production priorities to ensure customer orders are completed on schedule.
• Identify and implement improvements related to productivity, waste, labor utilization, operating costs, and workflow.
• Document operational processes and maintain standard operating procedures.
• Track performance and maintain operational reports.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with food safety, quality, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, and workplace safety requirements.
• Communicate effectively with employees, management, Human Resources, and other departments.
• Provide hands-on operational support, particularly during busy production periods.

Schedule

• Full-time day shift.
• During peak production periods, employees may work 10- to 12-hour shifts, typically between 5:00 AM–5:00 PM or 7:00 AM–7:00 PM.
• For the rest of the year, shifts are generally 9 hours.
• Schedule flexibility is required based on production needs.

Benefits

• Health Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Life Insurance (LI)
• Short-Term Disability (STD)
• Annual Bonus

Qualifications

Must Have

• 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
• 2–3 years of direct supervisory or management experience.
• Working knowledge of food safety, GMP, HACCP, sanitation, and quality requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and operational tracking and reporting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Business, Food Science, or a related field.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous-improvement certification or training.
• Bilingual Spanish/English capabilities are a plus.

Reports To: Plant Manager or General Manager

Supervises:

• Manufacturing Associates
• Quality Technicians
• Warehouse / Logistics Staff
• Temporary Production Workers

Working Conditions

• On-site, full-time in Leominster, MA.
• Food & beverage manufacturing plant environment with temperature variations, noise, and standard PPE requirements.
• Flexible day-shift schedule with 9- to 12-hour shifts based on production demand.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role is measured by:

• Consistent achievement of daily and weekly production and fulfillment targets.
• Compliance with food safety, quality, GMP, HACCP, and safety standards with zero critical violations.
• Improved productivity, waste reduction, and labor utilization metrics.
• Development of internal team leads and a stable, engaged operations team.
• Accurate, timely operational reporting and SOP documentation.