Plant Director

Home Chef (Internal Employees); San Bernardino (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k program

Paid holidays and vacation time

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

Home Chef (Internal Employees) is seeking a Plant Director to oversee the operational performance of the plant in San Bernardino, California. The role involves leading a cross-functional team, driving operational excellence, and ensuring on-time fulfillment of production goals.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in plant operations, demonstrate strong leadership abilities, and possess expertise in continuous improvement initiatives. A comprehensive benefits package, including a competitive salary and bonus potential, is offered.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of improving operational KPIs.
• Strong business acumen with cost management skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop department leaders across production.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards.
• Own plant financial performance and key operational KPIs.

Skills

Leadership

Operational excellence

Change management

Team building

Cost management

Education

10+ years of experience in plant or manufacturing operations

Tools

WMS

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

New Hire Base Salary Range: $160,000.00 - $200,000.00 + benefits

Bonus: This position is eligible for an annual performance‑based bonus of up to 20%.

Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off.

The Plant Director owns end‑to‑end performance of the plant, including safety, quality, fulfillment, and cost. This role leads a cross‑functional leadership team and drives operational excellence in a fast‑paced, high‑volume food manufacturing environment.

At Home Chef, this isn’t just about running a plant. You’ll play a key role in shaping how we operate, scale, and deliver for our customers every single day. From leading high‑impact teams to solving complex operational challenges, this role sits at the center of our business and has a direct line to the customer experience.

You will be responsible for building strong teams, improving performance, and driving consistent execution across all plant functions, while fostering a culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

Own Plant Performance & Strategy

• Set and execute the vision and strategy for on‑time fulfillment of all production goals
• Lead and develop department leaders across production, warehouse, quality, maintenance, CI, and inventory
• Anticipate and proactively address operational challenges impacting performance
• Partner cross‑functionally with corporate teams to remove barriers and drive results
• Ensure staffing plans align with production needs and operational goals
• Coach and develop leaders to build a high‑performing, accountable organization
• Create a culture rooted in Home Chef’s “Customer First” mindset
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and a positive work environment
• Partner with HR to effectively manage employee relations, performance, and talent planning
• Lead regular communication cadences to align teams on performance, priorities, and goals
• Own plant‑level financial performance, including cost management and budget adherence
• Establish and drive accountability to key operational KPIs (safety, quality, delivery, cost)
• Develop and execute action plans to improve performance and achieve targets
• Maintain a strong understanding of cost drivers and operational efficiencies

Ensure Operational Excellence & Facility Standards

• Champion a “Safety First, Quality Always” culture across all levels of the organization
• Maintain a clean, organized, and audit‑ready facility
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, food safety standards (SQF), and regulatory requirements
• Oversee inventory management practices and WMS implementation
• Drive adoption of tools, systems, and technologies that improve plant performance
• Identify root causes of operational issues and implement sustainable solutions
• Partner with Continuous Improvement teams to deploy and scale initiatives
• Hold teams accountable to standard operating procedures while identifying opportunities to improve them
• Lead change management efforts across processes, systems, and teams

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently delivers on‑time fulfillment and production targets
• Builds and develops a strong, accountable leadership team
• Improves key KPIs across safety, quality, cost, and efficiency
• Creates strong alignment between plant operations and corporate partners
• Establishes a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in plant or manufacturing operations, preferably within food production
• Proven experience leading leaders in a high‑volume, fast‑paced environment
• Strong track record of owning and improving operational KPIs and plant performance
• Experience driving continuous improvement and change management initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to build high‑performing teams and positive workplace cultures
• Strong business acumen with the ability to understand and manage cost drivers
• Excellent communication, leadership, and decision‑making skills
• Experience with WMS, ERP systems, and standard business tools (Excel, etc.)

Perks and Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
• 401k program
• Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses

We welcome people of all races, colors, religions, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disabilities, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged/sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.

Home Chef is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Home Chef will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact our People team [e-mail].

Home Chef offers the base salary range as posted above, with the exact offer depending on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and internal equity. While compensation is within the provided range, it is not typical for offers to be made at the upper end. In addition to base salary, Home Chef provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare coverage, 401k match, and paid time off.

$160,000 - $200,000 USD