Plant Manager - Food Manufacturing

Confidential Jobs; Illinois; On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Annual incentive program

Job summary

A well-established food manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to oversee daily operations at its facility. You will be responsible for plant performance, emphasizing safety, quality, and financial results. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with extensive experience in manufacturing environments. This role offers a salary range of $170,000 to $210,000 per year, alongside comprehensive benefits including health coverage and retirement savings.

Qualifications

• 10-12+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and food safety.
• Proficiency in performance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant operations focused on safety and compliance.
• Manage financial performance including budgeting and forecasting.
• Drive operational performance through KPIs and metrics.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Financial acumen

Communication

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management or related field

MBA

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.)

Job description

This range is provided by Confidential Jobs. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$170,000.00/yr - $210,000.00/yr

Job Summary: A well-established food manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead daily operations at one of its production facilities. This leadership position role offers full responsibility for plant performance, including safety, quality, production, financial results, and team leadership in a stable, growth-oriented manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on leader who values people, prioritizes safety and food quality, and drives results through thoughtful execution and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead all plant operations with a strong emphasis on employee safety, food safety, quality, and compliance.
• Build and sustain a safety‑first culture aligned with GMP, HACCP, USDA, FDA, and OSHA requirements.
• Drive operational performance through KPIs, metrics, and visual management.
• Analyze production results, downtime, yields, and labor utilization to implement improvement initiatives.
• Apply Lean manufacturing and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) principles to improve efficiency, reliability, and cost performance.
• Manage plant financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost controls.
• Lead, coach, and develop plant leadership and frontline teams.
• Collaborate on execute capital improvement projects that support safety, quality, productivity, and growth.
• Partner cross‑functionally across Quality, Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, HR, and Supply Chain.
• Communicate operational risks, issues, and opportunities proactively.

Physical Requirements:

• Have ability to frequently stand/walk, kneel, crouch, and reach with hands and arms.
• Ability to lift/move up to 25+ lbs at times.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Business, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Food Science or related field; MBA is a plus.
• 10-12+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Strong knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food safety, and regulatory requirements preferred.
• Proven ability to drive performance through KPIs, Lean tools, TPM, and Continuous Improvement; exposure to Kaizen, TQM , Kanban, Six Sigma, 5S a plus.
• In‑depth knowledge of food safety requirements including HACCP and GMPs.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word.
• Proven track record of successful implementation of food related quality programs.
• Knowledge of food labeling (USDA/ FDA) preferred.
• Demonstrated financial acumen and people leadership skills.
• Excellent communication and organizational abilities.
• Proficiency in data analysis and performance metrics using ERP systems (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor, Sage) and/or other business management tools like CRM, MES, MRP, BI a plus but not required.

The annualized base salary range for this position is between $170,000 – $210,000 per year, depending on overall experience and qualifications. This role may also be eligible for an annual incentive program and a comprehensive benefits package, including health coverage, retirement savings, and paid time off.

Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level

Employment type: Full‑time

Job function: Production and Strategy/Planning