Tray Operator Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

One Fine Family is built on a simple belief — everyone deserves great chicken at a great price. Proudly based in Baltimore for more than 60 years, we’ve grown into a family of brands united by that purpose. One Fine Chicken delivers “Better Chicken for Everyone” with premium quality at an incredible value. Easy Street brings bold, globally inspired flavors to everyday meals, capturing the vibrant spirit of street food culture. Holly Poultry, our food service brand, has earned the trust of some of the nation’s most beloved restaurants, including Raising Cane’s, Hattie B’s, Royal Farms, and Nando’s, by providing fresh, high-quality poultry with unmatched confidence and reliability. Rooted in community and driven by purpose, One Fine Family proudly gives back, donating more than 300,000 pounds of chicken each year to local food banks and charities--because better chicken should make life better for everyone.

Join us and be a part of something bigger.  At One Fine Family, we are united by purpose, fueled by passion, and committed to making a difference. Together, we’re shaping the future of food — one plate, one person, and One Fine Family at a time

We are currently hiring Director of Operations – Retail Tray Pack

Position Summary

The Director of Operations – Retail Tray Pack is the senior onsite leader responsible for the performance, execution, and continuous improvement of the Retail Tray Pack Campus in Hanover, MD. This role leads a high-volume, fast-paced retail tray pack poultry operation serving major grocery customers, where success depends on delivering consistent service levels, strict adherence to customer specifications, and operational precision in a limited shelf-life environment.

This leader will translate company strategy into operational execution, driving efficiency, consistency, and operational excellence across the campus. The Director will lead and develop the site leadership team, including the Plant Manager and Maintenance Manager, while working in close partnership with Quality Assurance, Procurement, and Continuous Improvement to ensure the facility operates safely, meets all regulatory requirements, and consistently delivers high-quality products to customers.

Success in this role requires a strong background in food manufacturing operations, the ability to lead leaders, and a results-driven approach to performance, financial accountability, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced poultry production environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Site Leadership & Accountability

• Serve as the onsite leader for the Retail Tray Pack campus
• Set direction, expectations, and accountability for operational performance
• Translate company strategy into execution at the plant level
• Drive results aligned to established production, financial, and service level plan goals

Operations & Production Oversight

• Oversee all Retail Tray Pack production activities to ensure efficient and consistent execution
• Drive performance against key metrics including throughput, labor efficiency, yield, and waste
• Ensure production plans meet customer demand and delivery commitments
• Monitor daily performance and take immediate action to address gaps to plan
• Implement and sustain daily management systems (KPIs, standardized work, performance reviews)

Retail & Customer Performance

• Own service performance to retail customers, including on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery
• Ensure strict adherence to customer specifications, packaging standards, and shelf-life requirements
• Respond quickly to customer issues, quality concerns, and service gaps
• Support customer audits and maintain strong retail partner confidence

Maintenance & Reliability

• Provide leadership oversight for maintenance operations and equipment reliability
• Ensure maintenance is fully aligned with production needs, prioritizing equipment uptime, reliability, and throughput stability
• Minimize downtime and production disruption through preventative and predictive maintenance strategies
• Create, track, and drive downtime and uptime metrics
• Support capital planning and equipment improvements

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture across the facility
• Maintain compliance with all OSHA and company safety standards
• Ensure adherence to all food safety and regulatory requirements (USDA, HACCP, SQF)
• Partner with Quality Assurance to maintain audit readiness and product integrity

Financial Performance

• Own operational financial performance, including labor, yield, and conversion costs
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of financial reporting, key performance indicators, and P&L performance
• Develop and manage operating budgets in partnership with Finance
• Analyze performance against plan and implement corrective actions as needed
• Drive cost control and margin improvement while maintaining quality and service levels

Continuous Improvement

• Partner with the Continuous Improvement Manager to identify, prioritize, and execute improvement initiatives
• Drive accountability for measurable improvements in efficiency, cost, and performance
• Lead efforts to reduce giveaway, improve yield, create standardization and optimize labor efficiency
• Reinforce a culture focused on continuous improvement and operational discipline
• Support Lean initiatives to reduce operational variability and improve predictability in output and labor performance

Leadership & Talent Development

• Directly lead and develop the Plant Manager and Maintenance Manager
• Build a strong, accountable, and high-performing leadership team
• Partner with HR on workforce planning, development, and performance management to ensure staffing stability and consistent execution
• Drive initiatives to improve retention, training, and frontline engagement
• Develop bench strength and leadership capability across the operation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Procurement to ensure material availability aligns with production needs
• Collaborate with QA, Sales, and other teams to support customer demand and service expectations
• Support new product launches and operational scaling initiatives
• Ensure clear communication and coordination across all departments

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or poultry processing
• Experience leading plant-level operations or multiple functional areas
• Strong understanding of production operations, maintenance, and performance metrics
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, reporting, and Profit and Loss (P&L) management
• Experience working with Continuous Improvement or Lean methodologies
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and quality systems (USDA, HACCP, SQF)
• Experience supporting retail or customer-facing production environments, including managing service levels and fill rate expectations, preferred
• Experience utilizing Redzone or similar manufacturing execution systems (MES) to monitor performance, drive accountability, and improve production efficiency.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus
• Candidates must successfully pass post-offer/pre-employment drug test, and background screen.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Fast-paced food production and manufacturing environment requiring frequent interaction with production operations and FSQA personnel.
• Work is performed in and around industrial machinery, production equipment, warehouse areas, and processing environments.
• Exposure to refrigerated and cold-storage areas. Warehouse bays may be maintained at approximately 32F or below, with certain areas maintained at temperatures below 0F.
• Position requires the ability to tolerate exposure to cold temperatures for extended periods while performing required job duties.
• Work environment may include exposure to varying temperatures, noise, moisture, odors, wet surfaces, and other conditions commonly associated with food manufacturing and processing operations.

Holly Poultry, Inc. and its subsidiaries are Equal Employment Opportunity employers. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Holly Poultry, Inc. and its subsidiaries prohibit discrimination and harassment and are committed to maintaining a workplace where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.