Line Leader

Danone; Mount Crawford (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Danone U.S. is hiring a Line Leader at our Mount Crawford, VA beverage plant to lead a 30+ frontline team, driving safety, quality and continuous improvement on assigned lines.

This hands-on role spends significant time on the production floor coaching, solving problems, and delivering results with maintenance and process engineering partners.

Join a culture of accountability and engagement to deliver reliable line performance in a 24/7 environment.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years of leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading teams in food, beverage, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or other high-speed manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to coach, develop and motivate teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation, including occasional off-shift, weekend, or extended-hour coverage as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily production teams and line leadership partners.
• Develop talent through training, performance management, and ongoing coaching.
• Create an engaged and inclusive team culture that prioritizes safety, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Support hiring decisions, workforce planning, and employee development initiatives.
• Own line performance across Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Team Engagement metrics.
• Lead daily operations and ensure production goals are achieved efficiently and safely.
• Analyze performance data to identify losses, eliminate waste, and improve line capability.
• Facilitate Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meetings and execute operational action plans.
• Partner closely with Maintenance and Process Engineering leaders to improve equipment reliability and process performance.
• Lead implementation and sustainment of Danone's Integrated Work Systems (IWS).
• Standardize work processes and develop sustainable operating practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and employee effectiveness.
• Drive problem-solving initiatives and share best practices across teams and facilities.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Problem solving

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office

Job description

About the Job

Lead People. Drive Performance. Make an Impact.

At Danone, our manufacturing teams bring some of the world's most trusted food and beverage brands to life every day. We are currently looking to hire a people focused manufacturing leader to join our Mount Crawford, VA beverage manufacturing plant as a Line Leader.

In this role, you will be part of the Line Trio team and will lead a high-performing production team in delivering exceptional results across safety, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement for an assigned line(s). Reporting into the Business Unit Leader, the Line Leader will oversee a team of approximately 30+ frontline employees and lead cross-functional collaboration with maintenance and process engineering partners to drive performance, solve problems, and build a culture of accountability and engagement. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you'll spend significant time on the production floor coaching teams, solving problems, and driving performance improvements in real time.

What You'll Do

• Lead and Develop Teams
  • Provide daily leadership, coaching, and direction for production team members and line leadership partners.
  • Develop talent through training, performance management, and ongoing coaching.
  • Create an engaged and inclusive team culture that prioritizes safety, performance, and continuous improvement.
  • Support hiring decisions, workforce planning, and employee development initiatives.
• Drive Operational Excellence
  • Own line performance across Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Team Engagement metrics.
  • Lead daily operations and ensure production goals are achieved efficiently and safely.
  • Analyze performance data to identify losses, eliminate waste, and improve line capability.
  • Facilitate Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meetings and execute operational action plans.
  • Partner closely with Maintenance and Process Engineering leaders to improve equipment reliability and process performance.
• Champion Continuous Improvement
  • Lead implementation and sustainment of Danone's Integrated Work Systems (IWS).
  • Standardize work processes and develop sustainable operating practices.
  • Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and employee effectiveness.
  • Drive problem-solving initiatives and share best practices across teams and facilities.
• Promote a Safety-First Culture
  • Ensure compliance with all safety, GMP, food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
  • Foster an environment where safety is everyone's responsibility.
  • Lead by example and reinforce safe behaviors and operational standards every day.

Physical Demands

• While performing duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop; kneel; crouch; crawl; taste and/or smell, talk and hear.
• Ability to bend & stoop at waist level as well as bend & twist neck and head.
• The employee must regularly endure repetitive minimal to moderate lifting 10lbs up to 50lbs and occasional team lifting above 50lbs. Requires normal range of hearing and vision (including colors) to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports and results.
• The employee is frequently standing on a concrete surface for 8, 10 or 12-hour shifts
• Occasionally may need to climb stairs, step ladders, stool.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Ability to work up to 12-hour shifts.

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals and may be exposed to loud noises in the plant. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to extreme cold, risk of electrical shock and vibration
• Work schedules could include nights, weekends and/or holidays to provide the ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing environment as business needs dictate.

Engagement in our Integrated Work Systems

Ensure adherence to plant standards and procedures (including but not limited to GMP, AIB, FDA, IWS, Quality, Safety, Finance, ISO, HOPE, Danone Behaviors, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE). As a fundamental piece of the organization, your responsibility is to participate and own the implementation and deployment of IWS system and its pillars (Leadership foundation, Daily Direction Setting, Driving OE; Autonomous Maintenance; planned Maintenance; Focused Improvement; Education and Training; Environmental, Health and Safety; Quality; Organization; Supply Network; Early Equipment Management) with the objective of owning your space, owning your performance (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Mobilization, Nature) and owning your continuous improvement.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $90K to $116K. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options.

About You

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 3 + years of leadership experience within a manufacturing environment
• Experience leading teams in food, beverage, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or other high-speed manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to coach, develop and motivate teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to influence, coach, and engage employees at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation, including occasional off-shift, weekend, or extended-hour coverage as needed.

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, TPM, IWS, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence methodologies.
• Knowledge of SAP and Microsoft Office applications.

About Us

Danone U.S. is part of Danone North America, a purpose-driven company and an industry leader in the food and beverage category. You’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world. Our strong portfolio of brands includes: Activia, DanActive, Danimals, Dannon, evian, Follow Your Heart, Happy Family Organics, International Delight, Light + Fit, Nutricia, Oikos, Silk, So Delicious Dairy Free, STOK Cold Brew Coffee, Too Good & Co, and YoCrunch.

With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., Danone North America's mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.

You’ll be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps in the world, working to make sure our company creates real value for people and the planet. Come join our movement for a healthier world: One Planet. One Health BY YOU.

Danone North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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