Assistant Plant Manager

Sogoodsoyou; Inver Grove Heights (MN); On-site; USD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with 3% company match

$500 annual FSA contribution

Discretionary Time Off

12 weeks Paid Primary Caregiver Leave

4 weeks Paid Secondary Caregiver Leave

Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D

Volunteer days

Job summary

So Good So You, a fast-growing plant-based beverage company based in Minneapolis, seeks an Assistant Plant Manager to drive operational excellence on the production floor and in plant engineering. You will lead the Production Team Leader and a 5-person maintenance crew while collaborating with cross-functional leaders to meet safety, quality, and throughput targets.

You’ll influence capital projects, equipment upgrades, and continuous improvement programs like 5S and standard work, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• 6-7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, ideally in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) production environments.
• Proven experience leading teams and, ideally, leading leaders (managing a supervisor or team lead who has their own direct reports).
• Demonstrated experience managing production KPIs such as throughput, yield, OEE, and downtime.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing.
• Strong experience with equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and reliability improvement.
• Experience leading capital projects, equipment installations, or facility upgrades.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership across production and technical functions, ensuring safe, quality, productivity, and reliability goals.
• Own day-to-day production operations, working hands-on with the Production Team Leader on the floor to meet shift schedules and quality standards.
• Drive production KPIs, including throughput, yield, OEE, and downtime, using data to identify and close performance gaps.
• Directly lead the Production Team Leader, who leads the line workforce, and oversee the 5-person Maintenance Technician team.
• Lead plant engineering and maintenance activities, including preventative and corrective maintenance programs.
• Oversee capital projects, equipment upgrades, line expansions, and vendor coordination.
• Establish and manage parts crib infrastructure for right parts at the right time and cost.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, food safety, and regulatory standards, driving continuous improvement.
• Oversee technical troubleshooting and root cause analysis to support production performance.
• Support lean initiatives such as 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Summary: We are a high-growth, fast-moving small functional beverage company, scaling internal operations and driving innovation at our new expanded plant location. To support the growth, SGSY recently expanded into a single 70,000 sq ft plant with vertically integrated operations.

We are seeking an Assistant Plant Manager to improve operational excellence with safe, efficient and reliable performance. This role is responsible for overseeing day-to-day production operations and plant technical operations, including maintenance programs and capital projects. This role leads a team of 6 direct reports (5 Maintenance Technicians and the Production Team Leader) and reports to the Director of Operations, who also oversees Supply Chain, Warehousing, and FSQ.

So Good So You values

At So Good So You, it is our mission to care for our bodies and the planet. We also believe that work should be enjoyable. We have a fun, high-performance environment rooted in doing more good together, celebrating curiosity, and focusing on what matters. This value set is the secret behind our incredible growth, amazing team, and why the future looks even brighter.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership across production and technical functions, ensuring effective coordination, problem solving and execution against safety, quality, productivity and reliability goals.
• Own day-to-day production operations, working hands‑on alongside the Production Team Leader on the floor to ensure schedules, staffing, and quality standards are met each shift.
• Drive production KPIs, including throughput, yield, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), and downtime, using data to identify and close performance gaps.
• Directly lead the Production Team Leader, who in turn leads the production line workforce, while also overseeing the 5-person Maintenance Technician team.
• Lead plant engineering and maintenance activities, including preventative and corrective maintenance programs.
• Oversee and execute capital projects, including equipment upgrades, line expansions, and vendor coordination.
• Establish and manage the parts crib infrastructure, ensuring the right parts are available at the right time and at the lowest possible cost.
• Ensure full compliance with safety, quality, food safety, and regulatory standards, and champion continuous improvement in these areas.
• Oversee technical troubleshooting and root cause analysis of equipment and process issues to support consistent production performance.
• Support the plant in driving lean initiatives such as: 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, and related methodologies.
• Coach, mentor, and develop team members; foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Skills & Experience

• Hands‑on technical leader who thrives in fast‑moving manufacturing environments and enjoys solving complex operational challenges.
• Strong problem solver who can quickly diagnose equipment or process issues and implement practical, sustainable solutions.
• Collaborative partner who works effectively with operations leaders, engineers, and production teams to improve plant performance.
• Builder mindset with the ability to scale systems, processes, and infrastructure as the plant grows.
• Calm under pressure and comfortable balancing day‑to‑day technical needs with longer‑term capital planning and improvement initiatives.
• Comfortable being hands‑on on the plant floor across both production and maintenance disciplines, while also leading leaders and developing a Production Team Leader.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• 6-7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, ideally in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) production environments.
• Proven experience leading teams and, ideally, leading leaders (managing a supervisor or team lead who has their own direct reports).
• Demonstrated experience managing production KPIs such as throughput, yield, OEE, and downtime.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing.
• Strong experience with equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and reliability improvement.
• Experience leading capital projects, equipment installations, or facility upgrades.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Experience supporting plant startups, new line installations, or rapid production scaling.
• Experience implementing preventative or predictive maintenance systems.
• Familiarity with High Pressure Processing, high speed PET bottling, automation, controls systems and process engineering improvements.
• Spanish language proficiency is a strong plus.

In accordance with Minnesota's Pay Transparency Law (effective January 1, 2025), the salary range for this position is $115,000 - $135,000 annually.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance — we cover 80% of premiums for you and your dependents.
• 401(k) with a 3% company match — because building wealth shouldn't wait.
• $500 annual company contribution to your FSA — real dollars toward real expenses.
• Discretionary Time Off — no accrual, take the time you need (exempt roles).
• 12 weeks Paid Primary Caregiver Leave — because growing families shouldn't have to choose.
• 4 weeks Paid Secondary Caregiver Leave — for partners, too.
• Full peace-of-mind coverage — Short Term and Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D.
• Opportunities to connect and give back — team gatherings and volunteer days throughout the year.

Benefits are subject to eligibility requirements.

About So Good So You

So Good So You is a leading brand of premium plant-based functional beverages in the exciting natural & better-for-you food and beverage industry. Founded in 2014 in Minneapolis, SGSY was featured in 2024 for the fifth consecutive year in the INC5000 list of fastest-growing privately‑held companies in the US, growing 425% in the last 3 years. SGSY’s industry-leading premium probiotic wellness shots are carried in over 14,000 locations nationwide in all 50 states throughout the US. As a mission-driven brand that does all things For the Love of Body and Planet™, SGSY became a B Corp in early 2023, officially codifying its commitment to optimizing the brand's social and environmental impact. A WBENC‑certified majority female‑owned business, SGSY advocates for social justice and closing the opportunity gap within minority communities. The current workforce is 67% female and 46% BIPOC, with 50% of managers across all levels being female. Additionally, SGSY actively seeks to hire and support the career growth of minority, BIPOC, and diversity candidates.

For the Love of Body and Planet ™

Our company believes that we are So Good, Together™ and strives to inspire an active lifestyle that is in harmony with the environment – that starts with embracing a lifestyle based predominantly on plant-based foods, reducing our waste and being conscious of our carbon footprint. We operate a renewable energy powered Zero Waste manufacturing facility. We believe in the power of community – surrounding yourself with healthy, happy people exponentially increases your chances of being healthy and happy too! We are following our passions and are committed to supporting our community – our employees, families, friends and customers – to find and follow their own passions!

So Good Brand Inc. is a drug‑free workplace. Pre‑employment drug testing and background check may be required based on the position. So Good Brand Inc. participates in E‑Verify, the federal program for electronic verification of employment eligibility.

Property of So Good Brand Inc.