This position exists to manage, direct and support manufacturing operations. This includes the responsibility for leadership and being the single point contact for all the department’s constituent areas of operation. 

This position is responsible for leadership of the Manufacturing Team Manager and Continuous Improvement Team Lead, team development, meeting department KPIs and promoting a positive culture around safety, quality, and employee engagement. 

This position is the single point contact for all departments (Quality, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Warehouse/Logistics). 

Essential Functions include the following: 

• Develops a culture of Safety and Quality by Role Modeling the correct behaviors. 
• Ensure adherence to and continuous improvement of safety and quality (GMP) rules and guidelines.
• Collaborate with planning, implement and control production schedule for the job, utilize appropriate equipment, adjust material and human resources as needed.
• Maintain visibility on floor through mentorship of key team players, routine walks through production areas.
• Establish, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOP’s) for production operations and ensure that they are adhered to.
• Monitor quality standards of products and enforce quality control and tracking programs to meet quality objectives.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through analysis of production and quality control KPI’s to detect and correct to root cause.
• Monitor and review team performance to identify knowledge, skill or ability gaps and coach for improvement.
• Promote collaboration and coordination between departments.
• Ensure team members are trained on all production, safety, and quality processes, collaborating with each department leader as training needs are identified.
• Serve as back up to the Director of Operations as needed. 
• Ensure participation and use of RedZone, and act based on related outputs.

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.

Competencies

• Coaching and Development - Ability to provide guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas.
• Leadership - Ability to influence others to perform their jobs effectively and to be responsible for making decisions.
• Communication (Oral & Written) - Communicates effectively with others using a variety of methods and tools.
• Organization – Ability to effectively budget time and maintain a schedule.
• Interpersonal - Ability to get along well with a variety of personalities and individuals.
• Problem Solving – able to solve complex issues using a rigorous and structured approach.

Skills & Abilities 

• Bachelor’s degree with a focus in Operations, Science, Engineering, or Business 
• 5+ years relevant work experience, ideally in the food or pet food industry 
• 5+ years of significant people leadership experience 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Excellent understanding of food safety.
• Excellent understanding of microbiological organisms and their impact on process, design, sanitary design and sanitation
• Previous experience with government regulatory requirements in the processing of food.
• Strong planning and organizational skills required.
• Strong continuous improvement mindset
• Working knowledge of continuous improvement practices (5S, Structured Problem Solving and Lean manufacturing), preferred.
• Experience in high growth, fast paced production environment. 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the person occupying this position. You may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by Management.