Plant Director

Kerry; Owen (WI); On-site; USD 129,000 - 212,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity stock purchase

Retirement contribution

Job summary

Kerry is seeking a Director of Manufacturing for the Owen, Wisconsin site to lead a transformative operational agenda focused on sustainable, profitable growth and consumer-centric, cost-efficient operations. You will shape the operational strategy, work with cross-functional teams, and report to the VP of Operations as part of the Food leadership team.

Responsibilities include building an engaging leadership culture, aligning technology strategy with operations, driving performance across

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Engineering, Chemistry or Manufacturing required.
• 10+ years of experience with at least 5 years in a leadership role in food or beverage manufacturing.
• Demonstrated leadership excellence with process discipline and credibility-building impact.
• Commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement and cost-effective agility.
• Strong commercial acumen and cross-functional leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Create a compelling Owen operation vision and strategy aligned with technology priorities.
• Build proactive relationships with customers and suppliers and foster engagement.
• Lead the Divisional Leadership Team and contribute to tech strategy and performance.
• Develop and execute an operational strategy driving growth, margin expansion and performance.
• Support site leadership to deliver day-to-day operational performance across key metrics.
• Foster a high-performance, collaborative leadership culture across the organization.
• Ensure footprint and capability fit for purpose and responsive to market needs.
• Lead strategic change initiatives and capital investment projects.
• Contribute to Kerry's standardization of Operations best practices.
• Develop high-potential talent across operations and drive Kerry Production System adoption.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Change agent

Curious

Agile

Consumer focus

Education

Bachelor Degree Engineering, Chemistry or Manufacturing

Job description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

The Director of Manufacturing for our Owen, Wisconsin site will be accountable for leading an ambitious, change-oriented and forward-looking operational agenda focused on transformation and growth, responsive to a fast-changing world and becoming more consumer and customer centric though cost-efficient agile operations. Reporting to the VP of Operations and working as part of the Food leadership team, you will be responsible for shaping the operational strategy which will focus on sustainable, profitable growth and performance while working closely with a broad cross-functional group of internal and external stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Create a compelling vision and strategy for Owen operation that aligns with the overall technology strategy and ensure that teams are highly engaged in delivery
• Develop proactive, responsive and effective relationships with key customers and suppliers – with a high degree of customer intimacy and supplier engagement
• Play a key leadership role on the Divisional Leadership Team, as a key contributor to the technology strategy development and business performance
• Develop and execute an operational strategy that drives business performance and is fully aligned to growth and margin expansion priorities
• Support the site leadership team to deliver excellent day-to-day operational performance across all key efficiency, service-level, safety, quality, and people indicators
• Create a high performance, collaborative and empowered leadership culture, influencing and engaging at all levels across the organizational matrix
• Ensure that the technology manufacturing footprint and capability is fit for purpose by proactively interpreting and planning timely response to changes in the market and in anticipating and responding to customer requirements
• Lead key strategic forward-looking change initiatives and operational projects around capital investment, performance and cultural change
• Key contributor to the development of an aligned approach to Operations best practice across the whole of Kerry
• Develop a pipeline of high performing & high potential talent within all functional areas of operations – with a positive, proactive and change oriented mind-set
• Lead by demonstrating the behavioral prerequisites that support the Kerry Production System and the Kerry Manufacturing Standard

You will already be a successful and dynamic leader or senior functional expert who has the capability and ambition to progress into a bigger or broader role over time with an existing track record of the following

• Effective leadership and delivery of excellent operational performance and results through engagement and development of teams
• Experience of active engagement and partnership development with key external stakeholders including major customers and suppliers
• Track record of delivering key strategic change initiatives, and ideally of successfully managing major capital investment activity
• Leading-edge operations skill set including modern day operations best practice
• Deep and broad functional expertise in all aspects of Manufacturing Operations including Supply Chain, Technical, Engineering & Finance

Qualifications and skills

Bachelor Degree Engineering, Chemistry or Manufacturing

10+ years experience with minimal of 5 years in a leadership role at Food or Beverage manufacturing facility

Demonstrated leadership excellence with the ability to strengthen the company’s operational capability through honed skills, a process-discipline-mindset, and impact that builds credibility and inspires confidence.

Commitment to operational excellence, where continuous improvement and cost-effective agility is key to driving success and natural market curiosity inspires strong partnerships with customers, suppliers and the broader business.

Strong commercial acumen and a breadth of business perspective with demonstrated experience of contributing to successful cross-functional leadership teams and ability to flex strategically and tactically.

Your personal characteristics include

• Strategic thinking
• Passion for consumers and consumer behaviour
• Strong change agent, innovative, curious, agile and outward looking
• Positive, can-do attitude with strong action orientation

The typical base salary hiring range for this role is $129,000 to $211,850 annually and is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, location, etc. In addition to your pay, Kerry offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and retirement contribution (all benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).

Kerry is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Kerry will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. Additional information can be found at Know Your Rights Workplace Discrimination is Illegal (dol.gov).