Plant Operations Director - Food Production Leader

Taylor Farms; Tracy (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Taylor Farms is hiring a Director of Operations to lead the plant's Operations organization, spanning Production Managers, Planning, Maintenance, and related functions. You will own production planning, safety, cost, and reliability while driving continuous improvement across shifts and departments.

The role demands strong floor leadership, data-driven decision making, and the ability to build a capable management team and achieve customer service goals.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of senior manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience leading multiple managers, departments, or shifts.
• Experience with high-velocity food production (perishable/ready-to-eat) preferred.
• GMP, HACCP, food sanitation, allergen controls, OSHA, and USDA/FDA knowledge.
• Strong financial acumen including budgets, variances, and P&L awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety first: GMP, HACCP, sanitation, PPE compliance, regulatory standards.
• Oversee production plan development and execution across all areas and shifts.
• Develop and manage production planning with demand, capacity, labor, materials, and maintenance.
• Coach and develop Production Managers and supervisors; drive accountability.
• Maintain strong floor presence and monitor operating conditions.
• Own portions of plant P&L and understand cost drivers.
• Use ERP, Power BI, and production data to identify trends and improvements.
• Lead cross-functional problem solving with QA, Warehouse, Procurement, and others.
• Drive root-cause analysis and lasting corrective actions.
• Set equipment reliability and preventive maintenance expectations.
• Plan for future capacity, staffing, equipment, and automation.

Skills

Operations leadership

P&L ownership

Food manufacturing

Cross-functional leadership

Safety & compliance

Education

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

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Taylor Farms is hiring a Director of Operations to lead the plant's Operations organization, spanning Production Managers, Planning, Maintenance, and related functions. You will own production planning, safety, cost, and reliability while driving continuous improvement across shifts and departments.

The role demands strong floor leadership, data-driven decision making, and the ability to build a capable management team and achieve customer service goals.