Plant Manager

Woods & Co; Austin (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Woods & Co Recruitment is excited to support a growing food manufacturing company that is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead one of its manufacturing facilities in Austin, Minnesota. You will oversee day-to-day operations across multiple business and plants, drive safety and quality, and champion Lean and Operational Excellence initiatives across multiple departments.

The role demands 6–12+ years of manufacturing leadership in food environments, with a proven track record in cost

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• 6–12+ years of progressive manufacturing or processing leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Experience leading food-regulated environments with strong safety initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple complex manufacturing departments.
• Deep understanding of employee and food safety, quality systems, nutrient production, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven financial and operational acumen, including cost management.
• Experience with asset-intensive operations, R&D production coordination, and reliability-focused maintenance strategies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and change management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations across multiple business and plants, ensuring consistent performance, operational discipline, and delivery of customer commitments.
• Communicate, develop, and execute site-level strategies aligned with business goals for production, quality, cost, and service.
• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership for multiple departments, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant operations.
• Establish standardized operating practices, performance metrics, and governance across the facility.
• Ensure production plans meet customer demand while optimizing throughput, yield, and asset utilization.
• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with OSHA, EPA, and chemical process safety (PSM) requirements.
• Oversee process safety, materials handling, dust control, waste management, and environmental stewardship programs.
• Lead audits, inspections, and corrective action plans related to safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Directly lead site leadership teams through daily example, building leadership capability through coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster collaboration and alignment across Operations, EHS, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and HR.
• Oversee asset reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, and partner with Engineering on plant upgrades, expansions, debottlenecking, and automation projects.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence initiatives, driving standardization of systems, processes, and reporting.
• Drive productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives without compromising safety or quality.
• Support strategic initiatives such as plant expansions, new product introductions, and process optimization.

Skills

Leadership

Safety leadership

Cost management

Production leadership

Change management

Communication

Operational Excellence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, Manufacturing, or a related field

Job description

Woods & Co Recruitment is excited to support a growing food manufacturing company that is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead one of its manufacturing facilities.

This is a Plant Manager role in Austin, Minnesota.

What's in it for you?

• Great visibility and opportunity to make a difference while working with a great team — the company operates 17 manufacturing sites in the US, offering strong potential for growth.
• They're looking to make a Director/VP out of this professional.

What you'll do:

• Oversee day-to-day operations across multiple business and plants, ensuring consistent performance, operational discipline, and delivery of customer commitments.
• Communicate, develop, and execute site-level strategies aligned with business goals for production, quality, cost, and service.
• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership for multiple departments, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant operations.
• Establish standardized operating practices, performance metrics, and governance across the facility.
• Ensure production plans meet customer demand while optimizing throughput, yield, and asset utilization.
• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with OSHA, EPA, and chemical process safety (PSM) requirements.
• Oversee process safety, materials handling, dust control, waste management, and environmental stewardship programs.
• Lead audits, inspections, and corrective action plans related to safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Directly lead site leadership teams through daily example, building leadership capability through coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Foster collaboration and alignment across Operations, EHS, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and HR.
• Oversee asset reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, and partner with Engineering on plant upgrades, expansions, debottlenecking, and automation projects.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence initiatives, driving standardization of systems, processes, and reporting.
• Drive productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives without compromising safety or quality.
• Support strategic initiatives such as plant expansions, new product introductions, and process optimization.

What we're looking for:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• 6 - 12+ years of progressive manufacturing or processing leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Experience leading food-regulated environments with strong safety initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple complex manufacturing departments.
• Deep understanding of employee and food safety, quality systems, nutrient production, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven financial and operational acumen, including cost management.
• Experience with asset-intensive operations, R&D production coordination, and reliability-focused maintenance strategies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and change management skills.

Woods & Co Recruitment is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate and proudly encourage applications from everyone—including individuals from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities of all ages.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.