Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach, and develop frontline manufacturing employees to achieve operational and business objectives.
• Foster a culture focused on safety, quality, accountability, and teamwork.
• Conduct performance management activities, including coaching, performance reviews, development planning, recognition, and corrective actions.
• Plan, assign, and direct work activities to optimize workforce effectiveness and production performance.
• Promote employee engagement while ensuring fair and consistent application of company policies, labor agreements, and plant rules.
• Identify and develop future talent through training, mentoring, cross-training, and succession planning.
• Reinforce standard work and operating practices to ensure consistent execution across the operation.

Operational Excellence

• Manage daily operations across the plant to ensure achievement of SQCDMN objectives.
• Execute production schedules while optimizing labor utilization, equipment effectiveness, product quality, and customer service performance.
• Utilize IWS principles, Daily Management Systems, and Short Interval Management tools to identify issues and drive timely resolution.
• Analyze shift performance and implement actions to mitigate risks and eliminate operational losses.
• Establish priorities and ensure completion of short- and long-term operational objectives.
• Coordinate plant activities to ensure smooth transitions between shifts and departments.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure all products meet food safety, quality, regulatory, customer, and company requirements.
• Maintain compliance with SOPs, Quality Assurance Requirements (QARs), ISO standards, CCPs, OPRPs, and all applicable food safety programs.
• Lead and participate in investigations related to food safety, quality, and regulatory non-conformance events.
• Verify effective sanitation, CIP processes, and equipment turnaround activities to maintain operational readiness.
• Ensure proper product handling, inventory management, ingredient utilization, and processing controls.

Continuous Improvement & Loss Elimination

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Integrated Work Systems (IWS), Lean Manufacturing principles, autonomous management, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, lower costs, and increase operational reliability.
• Lead and participate in root cause analysis and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions to improve operational performance.
• Manage and improve key loss metrics, including yield, ingredient loss, downtime, and quality defects.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve manufacturing processes and operational efficiency.

Equipment Reliability & Technical Leadership

• Collaborate with Maintenance and Reliability teams to support equipment effectiveness and uptime.
• Support preventive maintenance planning and execution to improve equipment reliability.
• Assist in identifying equipment repair, replacement, and capital improvement opportunities.
• Provide technical leadership related to dairy processing and production systems.
• Support operational readiness for new equipment installations, upgrades, and engineering projects.
• Ensure appropriate escalation and resolution of equipment-related issues.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Monitor and communicate shift performance against established KPIs.
• Maintain accurate production, labor, inventory, attendance, quality, and operational records.
• Prepare and present operational reports, action plans, and performance updates.
• Utilize business systems, including workforce management and payroll platforms, to administer attendance and scheduling processes.
• Drive accountability through KPI review, data analysis, and action plan execution.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, Warehouse, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders to optimize plant performance.
• Provide operational support to adjacent departments as business needs require.
• Participate in plant initiatives, operational reviews, and audits.
• Act as a change leader in implementing new processes, technologies, and organizational initiatives.

Physical Demands

• This role requires the ability to perform essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Requires the ability to perform essential physical job functions, including frequent standing, walking, bending, and manual dexterity; reaching with hands and arms; and occasionally climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling. Must be able to lift 10–25 lbs and over 25 lbs with assistance occasionally. Requires adequate sensory abilities, including talking, hearing, and tasting/smelling, to support safe and effective job performance.
• Requires strong communication, adaptability, and the ability to interpret instructions, analyze information, and develop actionable plans.
• Ability to effectively manage stress and maintain performance in a fast-paced, high-demand manufacturing environment.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in a manufacturing environment with exposure to moderate noise levels, temperature variations, and extended periods on concrete surfaces.
• Work schedules may include nights, weekends, and/or holidays to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation as business needs dictate.

Engagement in Our Integrated Work Systems

Ensure compliance with Integrated Work Systems (IWS), plant procedures, GMPs, food safety, quality, safety, finance, and operational excellence standards. Actively participate in the implementation, sustainment, and continuous improvement of applicable IWS pillars, including Leadership Foundation, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE, Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Focused Improvement, Education & Training, EHS, Quality, Organization, Supply Network, and Early Equipment Management. Drive ownership of safety, quality, delivery, cost, people, and sustainability performance while supporting a culture of continuous improvement.