Plant Operator Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

The Director of Plant Operations owns end-to-end performance of the plant, including safety, quality, fulfillment, and cost. This role leads a cross-functional leadership team and drives operational excellence in a fast-paced, high-volume food manufacturing environment.

At Home Chef, this isn’t just about running a plant. You’ll play a key role in shaping how we operate, scale, and deliver for our customers every single day. From leading high-impact teams to solving complex operational challenges, this role sits at the center of our business and has a direct line to the customer experience.

You will be responsible for building strong teams, improving performance, and driving consistent execution across all plant functions, while fostering a culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Set and execute the vision and strategy for on‑time fulfillment of all production goals
• Lead and develop department leaders across production, warehouse, quality, maintenance, CI, and inventory
• Anticipate and proactively address operational challenges impacting performance
• Partner cross‑functionally with corporate teams to remove barriers and drive results
• Ensure staffing plans align with production needs and operational goals

• Coach and develop leaders to build a high‑performing, accountable organization
• Create a culture rooted in Home Chef’s “Customer First” mindset
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and a positive work environment
• Partner with HR to effectively manage employee relations, performance, and talent planning
• Lead regular communication cadences to align teams on performance, priorities, and goals

• Own plant‑level financial performance, including cost management and budget adherence
• Establish and drive accountability to key operational KPIs (safety, quality, delivery, cost)
• Develop and execute action plans to improve performance and achieve targets
• Maintain a strong understanding of cost drivers and operational efficiencies

• Champion a “Safety First, Quality Always” culture across all levels of the organization
• Maintain a clean, organized, and audit‑ready facility
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, food safety standards (SQF), and regulatory requirements
• Oversee inventory management practices and WMS implementation
• Drive adoption of tools, systems, and technologies that improve plant performance

• Identify root causes of operational issues and implement sustainable solutions
• Partner with Continuous Improvement teams to deploy and scale initiatives
• Hold teams accountable to standard operating procedures while identifying opportunities to improve them
• Lead change management efforts across processes, systems, and teams

• Consistently delivers on‑time fulfillment and production targets
• Builds and develops a strong, accountable leadership team
• Improves key KPIs across safety, quality, cost, and efficiency
• Creates strong alignment between plant operations and corporate partners
• Establishes a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

• 10+ years of experience in plant or manufacturing operations, preferably within food production
• Proven experience leading leaders in a high‑volume, fast‑paced environment
• Strong track record of owning and improving operational KPIs and plant performance
• Experience driving continuous improvement and change management initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to build high‑performing teams and positive workplace cultures
• Strong business acumen with the ability to understand and manage cost drivers
• Excellent communication, leadership, and decision‑making skills
• Experience with WMS, ERP systems, and standard business tools (Excel, etc.)

• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
• 401k program
• Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses

Home Chef offers the base salary range as posted below, with the exact offer depending on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off.

 $160,000 – $180,000 USD

We welcome people of all races, colors, religions, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disabilities, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged/sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.

Home Chef is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Home Chef will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact our People team at hr@homechef.com.