Plant Manager _ Food Manufacturing Packaging

Base salary, plus eligibility for an annual bonus

Role summary

The Plant Manager runs the whole plant day to day: about 100 employees across two shifts, covering production, maintenance, quality, safety and shipping/receiving. This is a hands-on role — you'll lead from the floor, not from an office.

The Director of Operations sets the plan and priorities. You own executing that plan across every department, keeping the plant SQF-compliant and holding it to safety, food safety, quality, output and cost targets, and building a strong leadership team under you. You must be fluent in English and Spanish to lead a bilingual workforce directly.

Reports to: Director of Operations Direct reports: Production Manager/Supervisors, Maintenance Lead, Quality Lead, Shipping & Receiving Lead Type: Full-time, on-site

Key responsibilities

Plant performance

• Execute the production plan set by the Director of Operations across both shifts; hit output, on-time delivery and efficiency targets.
• Own plant KPIs — safety, quality, output, scrap, downtime, labor cost — and act on misses the same day.
• Be visible on the floor across both shifts: walk the plant, spot problems early and fix them in real time.
• Coordinate production, maintenance, quality and shipping/receiving so the whole plant moves as one.
• Manage the plant's operating budget, labor hours and overtime, and control spending.

People and leadership

• Lead, develop and hold accountable the plant's managers, supervisors and leads.
• Communicate directly with the whole workforce in both English and Spanish — plant meetings, training, feedback and discipline.
• Set staffing levels for each shift and drive hiring, onboarding and cross-training.
• Handle employee relations, attendance and performance issues fairly and consistently with HR.
• Build a culture of accountability where problems get raised and fixed, not worked around.

Safety and compliance

• Own plant safety: enforce rules, PPE and lockout/tagout; stop work when it isn't safe.
• Keep the plant compliant with OSHA, FDA/FSMA, environmental, SQF and customer requirements.
• Lead incident investigations and make sure corrective actions get done.
• Maintain plant housekeeping and organization (5S or similar).

Food safety and quality (SQF)

• Own the plant's SQF food safety and quality system day to day; keep the plant compliant with the SQF Code and audit-ready at all times.
• Make sure GMPs, the HACCP/food safety plan and prerequisite programs (sanitation, allergen control, pest control, traceability, recall) are followed on every shift.
• Lead preparation for annual SQF certification audits and customer audits; close non-conformances and corrective actions on time.
• Support the SQF Practitioner and Quality lead on internal audits, food safety training and management reviews.
• Make sure product ships to spec; stop, hold and contain when it doesn't, and drive root-cause fixes.

Equipment, facility and improvement

• Oversee maintenance of equipment and the building; push preventive maintenance to cut downtime.
• Lead hands-on improvement projects to remove waste, bottlenecks and cost.
• Recommend equipment, staffing and capital needs to the Director of Operations with clear business cases.
• Give the Director of Operations clear, honest updates on plant performance, risks and needs.

Qualifications

Required

• Fluent in English and Spanish (speaking and reading) — you'll use both every day.
• 8+ years in food manufacturing, including 3+ years managing a plant, department or multi-shift operation.
• Working knowledge of the SQF Code, HACCP, GMPs and FDA/FSMA food safety requirements.
• Experience running or supporting an SQF (or other GFSI-certified) plant through certification audits.
• Experience leading managers and supervisors, not just front-line teams.
• Proven record of improving safety, quality, output and cost at the same time.
• Hands-on leadership style: comfortable on the floor, solving problems in real time.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA and plant safety programs.
• Experience managing an operating budget and labor costs.
• Comfortable with KPIs, Excel and an ERP/MES system.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in operations, engineering, industrial management or related field.
• Lean, 5S or Six Sigma experience (Green Belt or higher a plus).
• OSHA 30 certification.
• SQF Practitioner, HACCP or PCQI certification.

Working conditions

• On-site, with most of the day spent on the plant floor.
• Schedule: primarily days, with regular time on 2nd shift and flexibility for early starts, overtime and weekends when the plant needs it.
• Able to stand and walk for long periods, and lift up to [50] lbs occasionally.
• Exposure to noise, temperature changes and moving equipment; PPE required.

Pay: $130,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person