Plant Manager

Bluewater Hayes Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Job summary

A leading food production manufacturer is seeking a Plant Manager for its flagship facility in the Sioux City, Iowa region. In this key leadership role, you will oversee operations, ensure compliance with food safety standards, and improve performance through lean manufacturing principles. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of leadership experience in food manufacturing, strong labor relations skills, and the ability to drive a culture of accountability and improvement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or a closely related industry.
• Proven experience managing in a unionized environment.
• Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, SQF, and FDA compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership across all production, maintenance, and quality operations.
• Drive operational excellence through lean manufacturing principles.
• Lead and develop a diverse team of production supervisors, engineers, and frontline employees.

Skills

Leadership

Operational Excellence

Lean Manufacturing

Labor Relations

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

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Overview

Our client, a large and established food production manufacturer, is seeking a Plant Manager to lead operations at their flagship facility in the Sioux City, Iowa region. This is a key leadership role overseeing a high-volume, unionized manufacturing environment. The Plant Manager will be responsible for driving performance, ensuring compliance and food safety standards, and fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership across all production, maintenance, and quality operations.
• Drive operational excellence through lean manufacturing principles, performance metrics, and process improvements.
• Partner with HR and union representatives to manage labor relations, negotiate, and maintain a positive, compliant working environment.
• Lead and develop a diverse team of production supervisors, engineers, and frontline employees.
• Ensure safety, quality, and productivity goals are achieved while maintaining cost efficiency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with corporate leadership, supply chain, quality assurance, and engineering teams to align on production goals and initiatives.
• Oversee capital projects, budgets, and performance improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or a closely related industry.
• Proven experience managing in a unionized environment with strong labor relations and engagement strategies.
• Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, SQF, and FDA compliance standards.
• Demonstrated success in implementing Lean/CI practices and improving plant KPIs (OEE, yield, throughput, etc.).
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and change management skills.

Why This Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join a stable, growing organization that values its people, invests in modern operations, and takes pride in delivering high-quality products nationwide. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, results-oriented leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and is passionate about developing teams and driving operational performance.

Additional Information

• Referral note: Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Bluewater Hayes Inc. by 2x
• Inferred from the description for this job: Medical insurance, Vision insurance, 401(k)
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