Assistant Plant Manager in Merced

Energy Jobline ZR; Merced (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Energy Jobline ZR is seeking an experienced Assistant Plant Manager to lead day-to-day operations in a high-volume food manufacturing facility in California. You will partner with site leadership to drive production performance, maintain product quality, control costs, and uphold safety standards.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on manufacturing leadership, experience guiding frontline supervisors and hourly teams, and a strong track record in optimizing throughput, labor efficiency, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience within food manufacturing or food processing.
• Experience within poultry, protein, meat processing, or a similar high-volume manufacturing environment is highly desirable.
• Previous experience managing production supervisors and/or large hourly production teams.
• Strong understanding of plant operations, production planning, labor management, and operational performance.
• Financial and business acumen, including experience with budgets, staffing levels, labor costs, and cost analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and drive operational improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support overall plant operations with a focus on safety, quality, productivity, cost, and on-time delivery
• Coordinate daily production activities and schedules to achieve customer and business requirements
• Identify opportunities to improve throughput, capacity utilization, labor efficiency, and overall plant performance
• Monitor key production metrics and implement corrective actions when operational targets are not being achieved
• Partner with plant leadership to execute operational and continuous improvement initiatives
• Optimize the use of labor, equipment, materials, and other plant resources
• Analyze production data to identify areas of waste, excessive overtime, downtime, and inefficiency
• Maintain strong standards around product quality and production consistency
• Lead, coach, and develop production supervisors and plant personnel
• Assist with workforce planning, staffing, employee development, and performance management
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure established plant safety procedures are consistently followed
• Develop and maintain processes and performance measurements that improve productivity and maximize asset utilization
• Work cross-functionally with operations, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and other plant teams

Skills

Leadership experience

Team leadership

Operations management

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Microsoft Office & reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, Food Science, or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job DescriptionJob Description

Assistant Plant Manager

Food Manufacturing / Processing

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Assistant Plant Manager to help lead day-to-day operations within a high-volume food manufacturing facility. This individual will partner closely with site leadership to drive production performance, maintain product quality, control operating costs, and ensure a safe and compliant work environment.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who has successfully managed production teams in a fast-paced food processing environment. This position will have significant responsibility for operational performance as well as the development and leadership of frontline supervisors and production employees.

Key Responsibilities

• Support overall plant operations with a focus on safety, quality, productivity, cost, and on-time delivery
• Coordinate daily production activities and schedules to achieve customer and business requirements
• Identify opportunities to improve throughput, capacity utilization, labor efficiency, and overall plant performance
• Monitor key production metrics and implement corrective actions when operational targets are not being achieved
• Partner with plant leadership to execute operational and continuous improvement initiatives
• Optimize the use of labor, equipment, materials, and other plant resources
• Analyze production data to identify areas of waste, excessive overtime, downtime, and inefficiency
• Maintain strong standards around product quality and production consistency
• Lead, coach, and develop production supervisors and plant personnel
• Assist with workforce planning, staffing, employee development, and performance management
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure established plant safety procedures are consistently followed
• Develop and maintain processes and performance measurements that improve productivity and maximize asset utilization
• Work cross-functionally with operations, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and other plant teams

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience within food manufacturing or food processing
• Experience within poultry, protein, meat processing, or a similar high-volume manufacturing environment is highly desirable
• Previous experience managing production supervisors and/or large hourly production teams
• Strong understanding of plant operations, production planning, labor management, and operational performance
• Financial and business acumen, including experience with budgets, staffing levels, labor costs, and cost analysis
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and drive operational improvement
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to operate effectively in both independent and highly collaborative environments
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office and manufacturing/business reporting systems
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, Food Science, or a related discipline