General Manager

3P Partners; Iowa; On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Competitive base salary

Performance bonus

Job summary

3P Partners is seeking a General Manager to complete the ramp-up of a new Iowa facility and drive growth across production, maintenance, engineering, and quality teams.

Reporting to the CEO, you will own the site P&L, lead cross-functional teams, and deliver the operating and capital plans while ensuring food safety and quality during ramp-up.

Qualifications

• Progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing with site and P&L accountability.
• USDA-regulated food manufacturing experience is preferred.
• Experience leading a startup or facility ramp-up, including equipment reliability and vendor management.
• Proven ability to deliver operating and financial plans and improve plant performance.
• Experience using ERP and BI systems to track performance and support decisions.
• Track record of building cross-functional leadership teams and fostering accountability.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Complete the operational ramp-up by stabilizing equipment and processes with engineering and vendors.
• Deliver production and financial plan, increasing throughput while managing costs.
• Develop plant leadership, set priorities, and build a collaborative, improvement-focused culture.
• Establish regular performance reviews and use data to drive corrective actions.
• Own the site P&L, budget, and capital plan; align staffing and automation with needs.
• Partner with executive leadership to strengthen site capabilities for growth.
• Maintain food safety, quality, and employee safety standards during ramp-up.

Skills

Leadership

P&L accountability

Startup / ramp-up

Cross-functional leadership

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, animal science, or related

MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

BI / analytics tools

Job description

• VP-level leadership role reporting directly to the CEO of an established, privately held food manufacturer
• Lead the ramp-up of a recently opened facility with committed customer demand
• Onsite in SE Iowa, offering competitive base salary + 35% bonus + relocation support

An established food manufacturer is seeking a General Manager to complete the ramp-up of its Iowa facility and support the company’s next phase of growth. The business supplies value-added products to foodservice and retail customers, with a focus on quality, product innovation, and long-term customer relationships.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the General Manager will own the site’s operational and financial performance and lead a multidisciplinary team across production, maintenance, engineering, sanitation, quality, food safety, and support functions. The priorities are to establish reliable production, deliver the operating plan and build a cohesive leadership team capable of supporting additional business.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete the operational ramp-up by stabilizing equipment and production processes in partnership with engineering, maintenance, and equipment vendors.
• Deliver the production and financial plan, increasing throughput as customer demand grows while managing labor, yield, overhead and other operating costs.
• Develop the plant manager and functional leaders, establish shared priorities, and clear accountability, and build a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and employee development.
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly performance reviews, using operating data and financial reporting to identify issues and drive corrective action through the team.
• Own the site P&L, operating budget and capital plan, aligning staffing, equipment improvements, and automation with business needs.
• Partner with executive leadership and corporate functions to strengthen site capabilities and prepare for future growth.
• Maintain food safety, quality, and employee safety standards throughout the ramp-up.

Qualifications

• Progressive food manufacturing leadership experience, including direct site and P&L accountability.
• USDA-regulated food manufacturing experience.
• Experience leading a startup or facility ramp-up, including equipment reliability, maintenance, and vendor management.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver operating plans, manage capital investment, and improve plant financial performance.
• Experience using ERP and business intelligence systems to track performance and support decisions.
• Track record of developing cross-functional leadership teams, building culture, and strengthening accountability.
• Food safety oversight and union or labor relations experience are advantages.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, animal science, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• Hands-on leadership style with maturity, humility and commercial judgment, and the ability to build structure in a fast-paced environment.