The Operations Team Manager leads day-to-day manufacturing operations across the facility, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient, and consistent execution of the production plan.

Leading through Production Team Managers and Supervisors, this role drives performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, and Continuous Improvement; establishes operating discipline; develops manufacturing leaders; drives accountability for operational losses; and partners cross-functionally with Safety, Quality, Maintenance, Scheduling, Supply Chain, Inventory Control, HR, and Continuous Improvement.

The role serves as a key link between plant strategy and shift-level execution and acts as a backup to the Director of Operations as needed.

Scope: Leads 3 Production Team Managers and up to 20 Supervisors across 12 shifts, with responsibility for approximately 600 production associates across 5 departments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient execution of production plans while meeting Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People expectations.
• Lead, coach, and develop Production Team Managers and Supervisors; establish clear expectations, address performance gaps, build accountability, and develop leadership capability and succession depth.
• Establish and maintain a consistent operating rhythm through daily production reviews, floor presence, shift handoffs, weekly performance reviews, action tracking, and other leadership routines.
• Review schedules, staffing, WIP, equipment availability, and priorities; adjust labor and resources to achieve production and service targets.
• Monitor KPIs including schedule attainment, labor productivity, overtime, downtime, waste, yield, quality performance, and material adherence; identify trends and drive recovery actions.
• Drive continuous improvement through root-cause analysis, standard work, SOP development, and corrective actions focused on safety, quality, throughput, reliability, productivity, and cost.
• Partner with Quality, Safety, Maintenance, Scheduling, Supply Chain, Inventory Control, HR, and Continuous Improvement to resolve operational barriers, establish ownership, and ensure timely closure.
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, food-safety requirements, safety programs, SOPs, training requirements, production controls, and plant systems such as RedZone, D365, Directed Pick, and related reporting tools.
• Support plant projects, process and equipment changes, shutdowns, readiness activities, and strategic initiatives; serve as backup to the Director of Operations as needed.

Competencies

• Coaching & Development – Develops leaders through expectations, feedback, mentoring, and performance management; builds capability and succession depth.
• Leadership – Aligns others toward business goals, makes sound decisions, establishes accountability, and creates a culture of ownership and execution.
• Communication – Communicates clearly across levels using verbal, written, and visual methods; escalates risks, priorities, and performance issues appropriately.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making – Uses data, structured problem-solving, and judgment to identify root causes, evaluate risk, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Operational Acumen – Understands manufacturing drivers and uses safety, quality, labor, throughput, downtime, waste, and schedule data to make decisions.
• Accountability & Execution – Establishes ownership, follows through, addresses performance gaps, and sustains corrective actions.

Skills & Qualifications

Required

· Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Engineering, Business, Science, Supply Chain, or related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

· 5+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations experience, preferably in food, pet food, or another regulated production environment.

· 5+ years of people leadership experience, including leading and developing frontline leaders or managers.

· Strong understanding of food safety, GMPs, sanitation, and regulatory requirements in food manufacturing.

· Demonstrated ability to lead production planning, labor management, performance management, and fast-paced execution.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills using operational data and structured methods to identify root causes and drive corrective actions.

· Strong planning, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to prioritize competing operational needs.

· Continuous improvement mindset and working knowledge of Lean, 5S, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving.

Preferred

· Experience in a high-growth or rapidly changing manufacturing environment.

· Knowledge of microbiological risks related to food processing, sanitation, hygienic design, and food-safety controls.

· Experience with FDA, USDA, state, or other applicable food-manufacturing regulatory requirements.

· Bilingual English/Spanish.

Work Environment & Schedule

· Requires regular production-floor presence, including exposure to temperature-controlled/production environments and required PPE.

· Requires schedule flexibility, including off-shift coverage, weekend or holiday support during peak periods, and off-hours escalation response.