Plant Manager

Food & Beverage Company (Confidential); North Carolina; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Food & Beverage Company (Confidential) in Western North Carolina seeks an experienced Plant Manager to lead all plant operations, driving safety, quality, and production performance while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The role requires hands-on leadership in beverage/CPG environments, building high‑performing teams, delivering sustainable results, and aligning with maintenance for reliability while achieving KPI goals across production, quality, and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Direct all manufacturing operations including Production, Batch Room, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Inventory Control, and Warehouse functions.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures that balance cost control, safety, quality, production efficiency, staffing, and regulatory compliance.
• Drive plant performance through established KPIs and operational excellence initiatives.
• Ensure production schedules, customer requirements, and quality standards are consistently achieved.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives that increase productivity, reduce waste, and improve profitability.
• Partner with maintenance teams to minimize equipment downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Lead initiatives focused on yield improvement, efficiency gains, labor optimization, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Champion a culture of safety and accountability throughout the facility.

Job description

An established and growing beverage manufacturer in Western North Carolina is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead all aspects of plant operations. This strategic leadership role is responsible for driving safety, quality, production performance, employee engagement, and operational excellence while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will be a hands‑on manufacturing leader with experience in beverage, food, or consumer packaged goods production environments and a demonstrated ability to improve operational efficiency, develop high‑performing teams, and deliver sustainable results.

Operational Leadership

• Direct all manufacturing operations including Production, Batch Room, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Inventory Control, and Warehouse functions.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures that balance cost control, safety, quality, production efficiency, staffing, and regulatory compliance.
• Drive plant performance through established KPIs and operational excellence initiatives.
• Ensure production schedules, customer requirements, and quality standards are consistently achieved.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives that increase productivity, reduce waste, and improve profitability.
• Partner with maintenance teams to minimize equipment downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Lead initiatives focused on yield improvement, efficiency gains, labor optimization, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Safety & Food Safety

• Champion a culture of safety and accountability throughout the facility.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, SQF, OSHA, LOTO, and all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead plant safety programs and actively participate in Safety and Food Safety Committee initiatives.
• Ensure food safety, quality, and sanitation standards are consistently maintained.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development to supervisors, managers, and frontline employees.
• Foster a culture where employees take pride in their work, work safely, deliver quality products, and continuously improve operations.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor, fostering communication, engagement, and collaboration across all departments.
• Support workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and employee retention efforts.
• Build a culture centered on accountability, teamwork, and operational excellence.

Business Performance

• Manage labor, material usage, inventory accuracy, and operating costs.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reporting systems.
• Perform additional duties as needed to support business objectives.