Beverage Production Lead - Lean, Safety & Throughput

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.; Joplin (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. seeks a Plant Operations Leader to direct filling and packaging for a high-volume beverage facility. You will lead production supervisors, ensure safety, quality, and efficiency, and drive continuous improvement across departments.

Responsibilities include prioritizing production, managing labor and budgets, and maintaining regulatory compliance. The role emphasizes leadership, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in manufacturing, preferably beverage.
• High school diploma required; undergraduate degree preferred.
• Certification and/or License may be required during employment.

Responsibilities

• Manage filling and packaging operations to meet production schedules.
• Establish daily, weekly, monthly production priorities to maximize throughput.
• Monitor labor, equipment, materials, and utilities utilization.
• Coordinate production activities with Processing, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, and Scheduling.
• Lead and develop supervisors and hourly employees.
• Drive Lean, RCA, standard work, and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Ensure GMP, HACCP, SQF, FDA, and safety compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

OEE

KPI management

Data analysis

Problem solving

Communication

Project management

Multi-line manufacturing

Team development

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

ERP/MES/CMMS/Redzone

Manufacturing IT systems

Quality systems (GMP/SQF/HACCP)

Job description

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. seeks a Plant Operations Leader to direct filling and packaging for a high-volume beverage facility. You will lead production supervisors, ensure safety, quality, and efficiency, and drive continuous improvement across departments.

Responsibilities include prioritizing production, managing labor and budgets, and maintaining regulatory compliance. The role emphasizes leadership, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional collaboration.