COO – ESL & Aseptic Dairy Operations Leader

Byrne; Town of LaFayette (NY); On-site; USD 325,000 - 500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Byrne Dairy Corporate Office in Lafayette, NY is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead multi-site ESL and aseptic dairy operations, reporting to the CEO. The COO will drive lean manufacturing, food safety compliance, and scale advanced processing lines, with a strong background in ESL, UHT, and aseptic packaging technologies.

The ideal candidate has 10–15 years of operations leadership, at least 5 years at executive level handling ESL or aseptic UHT, and credentials like SQF, PCQI, or

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Engineering, Business or related field.
• MBA or specialized technical Master's degree is highly preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive operations management experience in food/beverage processing, with at least 5 years at an executive level handling ESL or Aseptic UHT operations.
• Strong working knowledge of processing systems, refrigeration, PLC automation, and high-speed filling equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering and project management for capital projects.
• Oversee ESL and Aseptic production, formulation, and packaging operations.
• Drive OEE metrics and manage CIP/SIP cycles.
• Plan capital expenditures and deploy UHT pasteurizers, homogenizers, and robotic systems.
• Oversee dual-distribution cold chain and ambient warehouse networks.
• Partner with executive team to drive financial results and yield.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Biology, Engineering, Business or related field

MBA or specialized technical Master's degree

Tools

Tetra Pak

SIG Combi bloc

GEA processing systems

industrial refrigeration (ammonia systems)

PLC automation

high-speed filling equipment

Job description

Byrne Dairy Corporate Office in Lafayette, NY is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead multi-site ESL and aseptic dairy operations, reporting to the CEO. The COO will drive lean manufacturing, food safety compliance, and scale advanced processing lines, with a strong background in ESL, UHT, and aseptic packaging technologies.

The ideal candidate has 10–15 years of operations leadership, at least 5 years at executive level handling ESL or aseptic UHT, and credentials like SQF, PCQI, or