Operations Manager-2nd Shift

Little Leaf Farms; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Little Leaf Farms in Kentucky seeks a Second Shift Operations Manager to lead the 2nd shift for our McAdoo facilities, directing production, packing, and logistics while upholding safety, quality, and efficiency.

You will manage approximately 100 employees, drive KPIs such as yield, labor efficiency, throughput, cost per pound, and OTIF, and partner with Quality, Sanitation, and Maintenance to resolve issues and improve processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5–10 years’ experience managing large teams (50+).
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with KPI management.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to work full 2nd shift with flexibility for 24/7 support.
• Bi-lingual English/Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Act as senior leader on site during 2nd shift across all facilities.
• Direct oversight of seeding, harvest, packing, and shipping operations.
• Collaborate with Quality, Sanitation and Maintenance to resolve issues.
• Manage a team of 100+ employees to meet KPIs (yield, labor, throughput, waste, OTIF).
• Lead Lean improvements and problem-solving to enhance efficiency and reliability.
• Ensure GMP, food safety, and policy compliance; foster disciplined culture.
• Maintain shift reports, downtime, labor, and output; handoffs to 1st shift.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Bi-lingual English/Spanish

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Engineering/Operations Management

Job description

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Second Shift Operations Manager provides leadership and oversight across all McAdoo facilities during 2nd shift, ensuring seamless execution of production, packing, and logistics activities while maintaining safety, quality, and efficiency standards. This role serves as the highest-ranking leader on site during second shift, reporting directly to the General Manager, and plays a key role in driving operational excellence across multiple functional areas.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Site Leadership: Act as the senior-most leader on site during 2nd shift, ensuring alignment, communication, and coordination across all McAdoo facilities.
• Direct Oversight: Lead daily operations across seeding, harvest, packing, and shipping to ensure consistent quality, productivity, and safety performance.
• Dotted-Line Oversight: Partner with Quality, Sanitation, and Maintenance teams to address issues in real time, support functional leaders, and drive cross-department collaboration.
• Performance Management: Manage a team of approximately 100+ employees to deliver against KPIs including yield, labor efficiency, throughput, cost per pound, waste reduction, and on-time, in-full (OTIF) shipments.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify performance gaps and lead corrective actions using Lean and problem-solving principles to improve efficiency, consistency, and reliability.
• Accountability: Ensure adherence to GMPs, food safety standards, and company policies while fostering a disciplined, team-oriented culture.
• Reporting & Communication: Maintain daily shift reports, track downtime, labor, and output, and provide clear handoffs to first shift and functional leaders.
• Safety & Compliance: Promote a safe, clean, and organized work environment through proactive hazard identification, near-miss reporting, and compliance with all safety policies.
• Team Development: Coach, mentor, and develop shift supervisors and leads to strengthen leadership capability and engagement across the workforce.
• Crisis & Escalation Management: Serve as point of contact for any shift-related emergencies, staffing gaps, or facility issues requiring immediate response.

Requirements

REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5-10 years’ experience managing large teams (50+) in a manufacturing, food production, or greenhouse environment.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience managing production KPIs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to operate independently and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Willingness to work a full 2nd shift schedule with flexibility to support 24/7 operations as needed.
• Bi-lingual English/Spanish

PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:

• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong financial and operational acumen, including P&L awareness.
• Demonstrated success in high-growth or start-up environments.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.