Plant Manager

Jobtailor; Sleepy Eye (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a seasoned Plant Operations Manager to lead daily production at our Sleepy Eye site. You will drive safe, efficient manufacturing, balance costs with customer demand, and champion continuous improvement and regulatory compliance across the site.

We seek a senior leader with a technical degree and 10+ years in production management, capable of mentoring staff, coordinating scheduling, and delivering strong performance with a customer-focused mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field as listed.
• 10+ years in production management and supervision in manufacturing.
• Ability to lead in a team environment and coach staff.
• Proven ability to drive change and continuous improvement.
• Experience with production logistics, scheduling, and GMP systems.
• APICS, Lean, or Six Sigma training is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily plant operations with a safe, professional work environment.
• Optimize workforce and equipment for efficient, coordinated output.
• Balance costs with safety and reliability to meet demand.
• Lead safety culture improvements and food safety initiatives.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and foster CAPA actions.
• Cultivate a procedures-based culture and strong change management.
• Develop talent for succession and organizational growth.
• Maintain production levels while adhering to safety and quality standards.
• Own capacity planning and update operating plans with inputs from planning teams.
• Ensure adherence to production schedules to meet commitments.
• Maintain alignment between plant, manufacturing, business, and corporation.
• Track KPIs and drive improvement plans for performance gaps.
• Conduct regular employee evaluations and foster a positive environment.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Change management

Production scheduling

Regulatory compliance

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/chemistry/food science or related

Tools

GMP systems

Job description

Responsibilities

• Direct daily plant operations while maintaining a safe, professional, and positive work environment.
• Make the most effective use of available work force and equipment, ensuring an efficient and coordinated work effort among all personnel.
• Balance costs versus what is necessary to safely and reliably meet customer demand.
• Lead continuous improvement in the safety and food safety culture throughout the local site and Balchem.
• Maintain high standards of performance, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate corrective action and preventive action plans at the site.
• Establish and continually improve a procedures-based culture.
• Facilitate an agile, effective, and engaged work force through strong change management, communication, and training efforts.
• Cultivate a high performing team with a customer-focused mindset.
• Develop key individuals for succession planning and organizational development.
• Maintain production at desired level while adhering to strict safety, food safety, and quality standards.
• Own the plant capacity plan and continually update operating plans based on inputs from Demand Planning and the Sales and Operating Planning Process.
• Ensure adherence to the production schedule to meet sales and commercial commitments to customers.
• Maintain goal alignment between the plant, the manufacturing function, the business, and the corporation.
• Maintain key performance indicators and metrics scorecards to monitor performance against established goals.
• Continually review and ensure improvement plans are in place for all performance gaps.
• Conduct periodic informal & annual formal employee evaluations.
• Create & maintain a positive work environment where success is celebrated, along with communicating company policies and directives to employees.
• Develop and adhere to an annual operating & capital implementation plan.
• Lead and own sustainability including waste reduction and value enhancement initiatives for the site.
• Effectively utilize communicate with regional, corporate, and approved outside expertise to drive learning and continuous improvement into the plant organization.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in a technical field of study such as engineering, chemistry, food manufacturing, microbiology/food science or a closely related field.
• 10+ years Production Management & Supervisory/Leadership; experience in a fast paced manufacturing environment is highly recommended.
• Ability to Facilitate & Lead in a Team Environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, develop and train a strong facility team.
• Demonstrated strong execution capacity.
• Ability to create sustained change to more effective systems.
• Production logistics & scheduling, GMP systems.
• APICS, Lean, or Six Sigma training is a plus.