Plant Manager Food Production Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary:

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and operational excellence of a two-line ice cream manufacturing facility with approximately 160 employees. This role has full accountability for safety, production, maintenance, warehouse operations, labor productivity, cost management, and continuous improvement. The Plant Manager partners closely with Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and Sanitation leaders to ensure compliance with company standards, food safety requirements, workforce development initiatives, and regulatory expectations.

The successful candidate will drive a culture of safety, quality, accountability, operational discipline, and employee engagement while delivering production, service, and financial objectives.

The Plant Manager is expected to be a visible, hands-on leader who drives results through people, develops future leaders, promotes a strong food safety culture, and ensures the facility operates safely, efficiently, and profitably while meeting the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the manufacturing facility.

• Develop and execute operational strategies that support company growth and customer requirements.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop department leaders across operations, maintenance, and warehouse functions.
• Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and succession plans for key leadership positions.
• Ensure effective communication across all departments and shifts.

Operations Management

• Direct all production activities for two ice cream manufacturing and packaging lines.
• Ensure attainment of safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost targets.
• Monitor production schedules and optimize labor utilization, equipment performance, and throughput.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on waste reduction, efficiency improvement, and process standardization.
• Ensure compliance with all customer specifications and operational procedures.

Maintenance & Engineering

• Provide leadership and oversight for preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Improve equipment reliability, uptime, and overall asset effectiveness.
• Prioritize capital projects and plant infrastructure improvements.
• Partner with maintenance leadership to develop long-term equipment replacement and reliability strategies.
• Ensure compliance with all safety and regulatory requirements related to plant equipment and utilities.

Warehouse & Logistics

• Oversee warehouse operations, inventory management, material flow, shipping, and receiving activities.
• Ensure accurate inventory control and storage practices.
• Drive improvements in inventory accuracy, order fulfillment, and warehouse efficiency.
• Collaborate with supply chain teams to optimize product flow and customer service performance.

Food Safety, Quality & Sanitation

• Partner closely with Quality Assurance and Sanitation leadership to maintain a world-class food safety culture.
• Support and enforce compliance with all food safety programs, including HACCP, GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure readiness for customer audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party certifications.
• Lead corrective actions and continuous improvement efforts related to quality and sanitation performance.

Human Resources Partnership

• Collaborate with Human Resources on workforce planning, recruitment, retention, employee relations, engagement, and leadership development.
• Promote a positive employee experience and productive labor relations environment.
• Ensure fair and consistent application of company policies and procedures.

Safety & Compliance

• Lead a culture where employee safety is the highest priority.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, FDA, USDA (if applicable), state, local, and company requirements.
• Establish and monitor key safety performance indicators.
• Lead investigations and corrective actions related to safety incidents and near misses.

Financial Management

• Develop and manage plant operating budgets.
• Achieve cost, productivity, and profitability targets.
• Monitor labor, maintenance, inventory, utilities, and operating expenses.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction while maintaining quality and service standards.

Experience and Education Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years of plant management or senior operations leadership experience in food, beverage, dairy, frozen foods, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Experience managing facilities with 100+ employees.
• Strong experience leading maintenance, production, and warehouse operations.
• Ice cream, dairy, frozen dessert, or refrigerated/frozen food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and proven experience in cultivating collaborative working relationships with teams across an organization.
• Promotes a safe and inclusive work force.

Skills Required:

• Ability to multi-task, stay organized and prioritize competing deadlines in a fast paced and continuously changing environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and external entities.
• Must be dependable, responsible, self-managed and follow through with minimum direction.
• Interest and willingness to learn and develop within the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing facility.
• Thrives in a collaborative work environment with open communication with peers and supervisors.
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills
• Superior diligence and accuracy
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

Food Safety & Quality Requirements/Responsibilities:

• Adheres to all Food Safety/Quality SOP's
• Accurately completes required Food Safety & Quality Records
• Communicates any known or suspected Food Safety/ Quality issues to the Q.A. Manager and Department Manager
• Responsible for reporting any food safety concerns or tampering with product.
• Attending all Food Safety/Quality training sessions.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of food safety systems, HACCP, GMPs, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, TPM, Six Sigma, or related methodologies.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
• Ability to build collaborative partnerships across operations, quality, sanitation, HR, maintenance, and supply chain functions.
• Proficiency with ERP, manufacturing systems, and Microsoft Office applications.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Safety performance (TRIR, lost-time incidents, near-miss reporting)
• Food safety and quality metrics
• Production attainment and schedule adherence
• Labor productivity
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Equipment uptime and maintenance compliance
• Inventory accuracy
• Cost per unit produced
• Employee engagement and retention
• Customer service and order fulfillment performance

Physical & Work Environment

• Regular presence in a food manufacturing environment with exposure to refrigerated and frozen conditions.
• Ability to walk production, warehouse, and maintenance areas daily.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs, balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to twenty-five pounds.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a general office environment where the noise level is usually moderate.

Disclaimer

This position description indicates the general nature and level of work expected. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required. Employees may be asked to perform other duties as required.