Plant Director

Cuisine Solutions; Sterling (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Cuisine Solutions in Sterling, VA is seeking a Plant Director to lead a high-volume sous vide operation. You will oversee plant operations, safety, quality, and continuous improvement, ensuring adherence to GMP, food safety standards, and production schedules.

This role manages up to 30 salaried staff and up to 500 hourly employees, partners with HR on staffing, and reports to the Vice President of Operations.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of progressive leadership in manufacturing/plant operations, sous vide specialization.
• 3+ years of production management experience.
• Experience handling sous vide industry audits (customer, OSHA, SQF).
• Knowledge of GMP and food safety standards (temperature, time, metal detection, labeling).
• Ability to drive production across multiple preparation and packaging steps.
• Proven track record of high-performing plant leadership and staff development.
• Values of honesty, integrity, teamwork, accountability, and performance.
• Strong organizational, technical, quality, safety, and environmental skills related to facilities operation.

Responsibilities

• Leads manufacturing facility to achieve operational excellence standards, business goals and objectives.
• Manages a team of up to 30 salaried employees, including Managers and Assistant Managers, as well as hourly workforce up to 500 employees.
• Directs the ordering and upkeep of building, material handling equipment and inventory.
• Supports, builds, and continues initiatives for improvement in safety, quality, productivity and cost.
• Implements and reinforces operational policies and procedures throughout production processes to ensure that execution meets standards and expectations while adhering to food safety, customer expectations, productivity, and cost requirements.
• Directs and coordinates plant functions to assure common direction toward plant goals.
• Guides and supports the plant quality system in procedures and controls to improve overall customer satisfaction.
• Proactively responds to all facets of customer satisfaction including delivery, schedule changes and special instructions.
• Supervises internal factory sanitation staff, and provides direction to 3rd party sanitation staff regarding production plans and cleaning needs.
• Uses company ERP systems to review production records, to track and analyze material usage, and to accurately manage inventory.
• Plans weekly production requirements and schedules employees to meet customer demand and minimize labor expenses and overtime.
• Collaborates with VP of Operations to identify staffing needs based on scheduling demands.
• Coordinates hiring/promoting of team members with Human Resources.
• Provides regular feedback to team members regarding their performance, recognizing excellence and areas needing improvement.
• Provides coaching to those who need additional help to improve performance.
• Responds to questions regarding raw materials, partially prepped food, and completed food not meeting Cuisine Solutions approved quality standards.
• Works with other departments to identify personnel and food safety issues and to take appropriate actions.
• Responds to production problems such as equipment failures, recipe questions, or noncompliance with approved quality standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned by management.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

ERP systems

Team management

Quality and safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field

Tools

ERP software

Job description

POSITION REPORT TO: Vice President of Operations

REVISION DATE: 10/5/2026

SUMMARY

The Plant Director is responsible for the management of their assigned manufacturing facility. The Plant Director has oversight of plant operations and continuous improvements activities related to production.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 5-8 years' experience or more of progressive leadership managing manufacturing/plant operations specializing in sous vide
• Minimum of 3 years or more years of production management experience
• Experience handling sous vide food industry production audits (such as customer audits, OSHA audits, and SQF audits)
• Expert knowledge of good manufacturing practices and common food safety standards, such as temperature an time requirements, metal detection, and labeling
• Demonstrated ability to drive production in a manufacturing environment that contains multiple preparation and packaging steps
• Established track record of high performing plant leadership, fostering an environment of teamwork and common goals, and developing and mentoring manufacturing staff
• Demonstrates values of honesty and integrity, respect for others, teamwork, and collaboration, accountability, and performance
• Proven organizational, technical, quality, safety, and environmental skills as they relate to the operation and maintenance of facilities
• Ability to perform comfortably in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment
• Ability to successfully execute many complex tasks simultaneously
• Ability to summarize results and present to different audiences including the executive level
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Science in Business, Engineering, or a related field, or must possess industry experience relevant to the role

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1. 1. Leads manufacturing facility to achieve operational excellence standards, business goals and objectives.
2. 2. Manages a team of up to 30 salaried employees, including Managers and Assistant Managers, as well as hourly workforce up to 500 employees.
3. 3. Directs the ordering and upkeep of building, material handling equipment and inventory.
4. 4. Supports, builds, and continues initiatives for improvement in safety, quality, productivity and cost.
5. 5. Implements and reinforces operational policies and procedures throughout production processes to ensure that execution meets standards and expectations while adhering to food safety, customer expectations, productivity, and cost requirements.
6. 6. Directs and coordinates plant functions to assure common direction toward plant goals.
7. 7. Guides and supports the plant quality system in procedures and controls to improve overall customer satisfaction.
8. 8. Proactively responds to all facets of customer satisfaction including delivery, schedule changes and special instructions.
9. 9. Supervises internal factory sanitation staff, and provides direction to 3rd party sanitation staff regarding production plans and cleaning needs.
10. 10. Uses company ERP systems to review production records, to track and analyze material usage, and to accurately manage inventory.
11. 11. Plans weekly production requirements and schedules employees to meet customer demand and minimize labor expenses and overtime.
12. 12. Collaborates with VP of Operations to identify staffing needs based on scheduling demands.
13. 13. Coordinates hiring/promoting of team members with Human Resources.
14. 14. Provides regular feedback to team members regarding their performance, recognizing excellence and areas needing improvement.
15. 15. Provides coaching to those who need additional help to improve performance.
16. 16. Responds to questions regarding raw materials, partially prepped food, and completed food not meeting Cuisine Solutions approved quality standards.
17. 17. Works with other departments to identify personnel and food safety issues and to take appropriate actions.
18. 18. Responds to production problems such as equipment failures, recipe questions, or noncompliance with approved quality standards.
19. 19. Performs other duties as assigned by management.