Operations Manager - Meat & Food Manufacturing

Hudson IT and Manpower; North Carolina; On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Hudson IT and Manpower is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead a meat/food manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The role focuses on driving safety, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement on the production floor.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of progressive managerial experience in meat/food manufacturing and a strong background in USDA/FSIS environments, with proven leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Business, Food Science, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive managerial experience in meat/food manufacturing.
• Meat manufacturing experience is required.
• Experience in USDA/FSIS-regulated environments.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and manage the Operations department within a meat/food manufacturing facility.
• Work with General Manager and department heads to ensure smooth plant operations.
• Maintain focus on food safety, plant safety, quality, productivity, and cleanliness.
• Maintain a daily presence on the production floor and establish operational urgency.
• Lead Production Superintendents and operations leadership for performance and results.
• Coordinate staffing and hiring with HR and other leaders.
• Develop team depth and succession plans for Ops positions.
• Monitor facility activities and departmental status.
• Manage Ops budgets and capital expenditure plans.
• Manage relationships with key vendors and suppliers.
• Conduct performance reviews and support employee development.
• Partner with HR on succession planning and leadership development.
• Support continuous improvement and productivity initiatives.
• Work with USDA/FSIS and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Address non-compliance reports and corrective actions timely.
• Identify and remove barriers affecting productivity, quality, safety, and objectives.
• Communicate significant operational issues to senior management.

Skills

Meat/food manufacturing experience

Progressive operations leadership

People management

Food safety/quality

Budgeting & cost control

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Business, Food Science, or related

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead and develop the Operations department within a food manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will have strong meat/food manufacturing experience, progressive operations leadership experience, and a solid understanding of USDA/FSIS-regulated facilities.

This role will be responsible for driving operational performance, food and plant safety, quality, productivity, cleanliness, employee development, and continuous improvement while ensuring customer and company expectations are consistently met.

Locations: North Carolina

Industry: Meat & Food Manufacturing

Employment Type: Full-Time

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and manage the Operations department within a meat/food manufacturing facility.
• Work closely with the General Manager and department heads to ensure smooth plant operations.
• Maintain a strong focus on food safety, plant safety, quality, productivity, and cleanliness.
• Maintain a daily presence on the production floor and establish a high level of operational urgency.
• Lead and hold Production Superintendents and operations leadership accountable for performance and results.
• Coordinate staffing and hiring activities with Human Resources and other department leaders.
• Develop team depth and succession plans for key Operations positions.
• Monitor facility activities, production performance, operational results, and departmental status.
• Develop and manage Operations departmental budgets and capital expenditure plans.
• Manage relationships with key vendors and suppliers.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide coaching and feedback, and support employee development and promotions.
• Partner with HR on succession planning and leadership development.
• Support continuous improvement, process improvement, and productivity initiatives.
• Work closely with USDA/FSIS and maintain compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure USDA/FSIS non-compliance reports and corrective actions are addressed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Identify and remove operational barriers that impact productivity, quality, safety, and company objectives.
• Communicate significant operational issues, including product contamination, equipment failures, downtime, and workplace injuries, to senior management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Business, Food Science, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive managerial experience in meat/food manufacturing or a closely related processing environment.
• Meat manufacturing experience is required.
• Strong experience in plant/operations/production management.
• Experience working in a USDA/FSIS-regulated food manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience working with production teams, supervisors, and/or Production Superintendents.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience managing departmental budgets and capital expenditures.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, HR, and senior management.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing/production environment and spend significant time on the production floor.

Candidates open to relocation may be considered.

Preferred Experience

• RTE (Ready-to-Eat) and/or further-processing experience.
• HACCP experience.
• USDA/FSIS inspection and compliance experience.
• Experience responding to USDA/FSIS non-compliance reports.
• Experience managing multiple shifts and production lines.
• Continuous improvement/process improvement experience.
• Experience managing large production teams.
• Experience with succession planning and leadership development.

This position requires regular presence in a food manufacturing/production facility. The role may involve exposure to manufacturing areas where appropriate PPE, including safety glasses and hearing protection, may be required.

The position requires the ability to walk through production areas, stand or sit as needed, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.