Process Leader

Deli Star Corporation; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Deli Star Corporation in Saint Louis, MO is seeking a Process Leader to manage manufacturing processes, drive uptime, yield, throughput, and scale-up for fresh sous vide and cook-chill lines. You will supervise line leaders, ensure food safety, and collaborate with Engineering and Quality to meet production goals.

The role requires overseeing regulatory compliance (HACCP, SQF, USDA), training staff, root-cause analysis for deviations, and CAPA implementation.

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Biology, Food Science, or Engineering.
• 1–3 years in a food manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of HACCP, USDA, FDA, and SQF standards and methodologies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily production execution and sanitation processes.
• Lead staffing to meet production goals and customer orders.
• Troubleshoot production issues with Engineering and other departments.
• Support Process scale up and collaborate with commercialization and Engineering teams.
• Report on key production metrics such as lbs/labor hour and OEE.
• Promote accountability and coaching to align with company values.

Skills

Process leadership

GMP

HACCP

Quality assurance

Root cause analysis

Training & coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Food Science, or Engineering

Job description

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Process Leader

Full Time Management The Star Plant, Saint Louis, MO, US

About Deli Star: Who We Are

Deli Star is a next-generation food manufacturing company with a clear purpose: to nourish life through protein with integrity. We specialize in fresh, sous vide cooked proteins and patented food-safety technologies, serving some of the most trusted brands, and culinary teams across the United States. Our mission is ambitious: to build a world-class fresh sous vide system. We are working towards a future in which safe, nutritious, high-quality protein is fresh and accessible to more people.

Deli Star is not a typical food manufacturer. We combine the scientific rigor, quality standards and operational discipline required in food manufacturing with the energy, creativity and entrepreneurial mindset of a growth company. With a team of 150 employees and growing, we are large enough to make a meaningful impact while remaining small enough for talented people to influence how the company evolves.

We are proud of our strong customer partnerships, our rapid growth and our long-term commitment to building an innovative, technology-enabled manufacturing platform.

Our people-first culture is grounded in three core values: Trust, Resilience, and Creativity.

We believe the future belongs to companies that can combine quality, innovation and operational excellence at scale.

We encourage applicants to explore our website to learn more about our story, our culture and our commitment to transforming the future of fresh protein.

Position Summary:

The Process Leader role sits at the core of the manufacturing process, leading operations for Deli Star. They will drive yield, uptime, throughput, and scale-up execution. The Process Leader ensures that plant systems, equipment, and processes are reliable, food safe, and drive profitable growth.

This role plays a critical part in advancing Deli Star’s fresh sous vide and cook-chill manufacturing platform by ensuring processes are robust, repeatable, and scalable.

Key Responsibilities:

Focus Areas:

As a Process Leader, you will have a process area that you are focused on. The possible areas are:

• Grinding/Spice Room
• Cup Line/Salads
• Searing/Multivac
• Packaging

• Manufacturing Process Management:
• Oversee the daily execution of operational and sanitation processes, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and adherence to production schedule.
• Effectively staff against approved labor budget, and organize the team to meet production goals and customer orders. You will make sure all line and area leaders have the resources needed to complete the plan for the day.
• Troubleshoot production issues and collaborate with Specialists, Engineering, along with other departments to resolve problems quickly.
• Support Process Scale up and collaborate with the commercialization and Engineering teams.
• Report on key production metrics including lbs/labor hour, equipment availability, and OEE.
• Regulatory and Quality Compliance:
• Ensure all production activities comply with regulatory requirements.
• Administer employee training programs and maintain accurate training records.
• Collaborate extensively with Sr Leadership and the Quality Department to guarantee adherence to all established quality parameters.
• Ensure strict adherence to all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Safe Quality Food (SQF) standards, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) procedures and regulations.
• Manage core training matrix.
• Coach and train employees.
• Promote accountability among all team members, ensuring their work aligns with Deli Star's core values.
• Lead root cause analysis for process failures, equipment issues, and quality deviations.
• Ensure CAPA are communicated, implemented and effective.

Qualifications:

• B.S degree in Biology, Food Science, or Engineering is preferred. A high school diploma coupled with five or more years of demonstrable professional experience, may be considered as an acceptable equivalent.
• 1-3 years progressive experience within a food manufacturing environment required.
• A basic understanding of manufacturing regulations, both internal and external regulatory requirements, including HACCP, USDA, FDA, and SQF standards and methodologies is essential.
• Demonstrated proficiency in identifying and resolving problems.
• Ability to function both independently and collaboratively with various departments, subordinates or peers is a must.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Good conflict resolution and people management skills.