Plant Operations Leader: Lean, Safety & Quality

Maple Leaf Foods Inc.; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness benefits

Defined Contribution Pension Plan

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer days

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is seeking a Senior Operations Leader to drive plant performance, implement best-in-class manufacturing practices, and ensure strict adherence to GMP, CFIA, and food safety standards across the facility.

You will lead a capable leadership team and partner with cross-functional groups to meet customer commitments. You will manage budgets, optimize production schedules, and champion operational excellence initiatives such as Six Sigma while coaching salaried staff toward

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production experience in the food processing industry.
• 5+ years of demonstrated, progressive management experience in a unionized work environment.
• Strong leadership and analytical, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication.
• Ability to work with all functions toward a common goal.
• Proven record of leading operational excellence initiatives and delivering bottom-line results.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational and strategic decision making to support the Site Leader.
• Develop and drive a strong health & safety and food safety culture, and own KPI performance for the area.
• Be accountable for production costs, labour utilization, yields, operating results and cost improvements in the department.
• Prepare and execute the operational overhead budget and direct product cost targets.
• Drive operational excellence, including Six Sigma, to reduce operating costs and minimize waste.
• Review and support the implementation of capital improvements within the area.
• Meet or exceed customer service level targets by synchronizing processes and activities across all functions, from demand planning through delivery to the customer.
• Optimize and ensure execution of weekly and monthly production schedules.
• Support Marketing/Sales and Product Development on new and existing product initiatives and customer inquiries.
• Ensure adherence to the Company’s food safety requirements and Good Manufacturing Practices, including BRCGS certification and audit targets, and support continual improvement of the food safety and quality management system.
• Maintain compliance with CFIA, provincial labour, environmental and health & safety legislation, Collective Agreements, and other regulatory requirements that impact plant performance.
• Build trust with employees and union partners through respect, visible presence on the floor, and timely feedback and grievance resolution.
• Set clear expectations and coach teams to own their performance against key metrics tied to the vision.
• Develop salaried employees through training, certification and coaching, and provide clear roles and consistent support and feedback to all employees.
• Build a cohesive, competent leadership group, with plans for development and succession, and create growth opportunities that prepare others to step into larger roles

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Post-secondary education in food science, business, engineering, or operations management

Tools

SAP

Job description

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is seeking a Senior Operations Leader to drive plant performance, implement best-in-class manufacturing practices, and ensure strict adherence to GMP, CFIA, and food safety standards across the facility.

You will lead a capable leadership team and partner with cross-functional groups to meet customer commitments. You will manage budgets, optimize production schedules, and champion operational excellence initiatives such as Six Sigma while coaching salaried staff toward