Director of Operations

JSK Recruiting, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Relocation assistance available

Travel up to 25%

Job summary

JSK Recruiting, Inc. in Chicago seeks a Director of Operations to own day-to-day leadership of a boutique food processing facility.

You will manage P&L across manufacturing, quality, safety, supply chain, and HR, leading a senior team and ~75 hourly staff across two shifts while driving margins and strategic initiatives.

Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate; a BS/BA is required with 10+ years of senior leadership in food manufacturing; MBA or related certs are a plus.

Qualifications

• BS/BA in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Demonstrated success leading a manufacturing plant with full P&L accountability.
• Strong financial acumen with P&L understanding.
• Experience working with ownership and C-level leadership.
• Analytical, data-driven and experience with ERP, MS Office; Redzone is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the full day-to-day operations of the facility including manufacturing, quality, food safety, supply chain, logistics, and HR partnership.
• Drive site P&L performance including gross margin, EBITDA, and working capital.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans, capital budgets, and long-term strategic initiatives.
• Lead and develop a senior leadership team across operations, quality, safety, and supply chain.
• Ensure full compliance with SQF, HACCP, USDA, FDA, and customer quality and food safety standards.
• Build organizational capability through coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
• Present financial and operational performance updates to the President and ownership.

Skills

Analytical

Executive presence

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations/Business

MBA or related advanced certification

Tools

ERP systems

MS Office

Redzone

Job description

Chicago, IL (relocation assistance offered on a case-by-case basis)

About the Role

56-year custom food processing manufacturer is looking for a Director of Operations to take full ownership of day-to-day operations at its Chicago location. This is a newly created role, and it was built specifically to bring dedicated senior operational leadership to a facility that does everything by hand

This role will own the P&L and lead the full operation across quality, safety, supply chain, distribution, and manufacturing with roughly 7 direct reports and 75 hourly employees across 2 shifts. The right person will have an entrepreneurial mindset, thrive without a instruction, and be comfortable making decisions on the fly in a fast-moving organization where no two days look the same.

This is not a role for someone who has spent a career running long production runs at a large manufacturer. This operation is boutique with a high mix of handcrafted products.

Responsibilities

• Own the full day-to-day operations of the facility including manufacturing, quality, food safety, supply chain, logistics, and HR partnership
• Drive site P&L performance including gross margin, EBITDA, and working capital
• Develop and execute annual operating plans, capital budgets, and long-term strategic initiatives
• Lead and develop a senior leadership team across operations, quality, safety, and supply chain
• Ensure full compliance with SQF, HACCP, USDA, FDA, and customer quality and food safety standards
• Build organizational capability through coaching, succession planning, and talent development
• Present financial and operational performance updates to the President and ownership

Requirements

• BS/BA required, ideally in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a closely related field. MBA, Master's degree, PMP, or related advanced certifications are a plus
• 10+ years of senior leadership experience (Plant Manager, Director, GM, VP, etc) in food manufacturing is required
• Demonstrated success leading a manufacturing plant with full P&L accountability
• Strong financial acumen with P&L understanding and the ability to make sound operational and business decisions
• Experience working with ownership, and c-level leadership
• Analytical, data driven and strong background with ERP, MS office and related systems; Redzone experience is a plus
• Executive presence with the ability to lead through influence, accountability, and collaboration

Compensation and Benefits

• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate
• Travel up to 25% as needed

If you have the experience, the presence, and the drive to lead a full operation and help shape the future of a growing food processing company.