Vice President, Operations

MBC Talent Connections; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

401(k)

Short-term disability

Paid vacation and sick leave

Paid holidays

Job summary

Vice President of Operations in the Washington DC Metro area is a leadership role for a privately held food manufacturer. You will set the vision for safety, quality, and productivity, and build the teams and systems that deliver it.

Hands-on food manufacturing experience is essential for this role. You will oversee plant operations, drive improvements, and lead cross-functional teams to meet growth and financial objectives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in food manufacturing.
• 5+ years in direct production or plant operations management.
• Strong knowledge of food manufacturing processes, food safety, GMPs, quality systems, and compliance.
• Experience leading high-volume or complex manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to drive productivity, efficiency, quality, and cost improvements.
• Solid understanding of plant maintenance, equipment reliability, safety, and facility operations.
• Ability to build, develop, and retain strong leadership teams.
• Experience setting performance standards and driving a continuous improvement culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead all manufacturing operations and build a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support growth and financial objectives
• Oversee production, maintenance, quality, inventory, distribution, and related functions
• Set and track KPIs, budgets, and performance goals
• Improve throughput, efficiency, labor utilization, product quality, and operating costs
• Ensure all processes meet quality, food safety, regulatory, and customer standards
• Strengthen operational systems, policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Drive projects that increase equipment reliability, facility performance, and production capacity
• Promote collaboration across manufacturing, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and distribution
• Coach and develop plant leaders and production management

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Food manufacturing

GMPs & quality systems

ERP systems

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/ Food Science/ Manufacturing/ Operations

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Manufacturing ERP systems

Job description

Vice President, Operations

Location: Washington DC Metro area (onsite daily)
Employment Type: Full-time
Compensation: $120,000 – $130,000 base salary, plus a full benefits package

The Opportunity

A privately held food manufacturer with global reach is looking for a Vice President, Operations to lead its plant operations. This is a high-visibility leadership role for an experienced food manufacturing executive. You will set the vision for safety, quality, and productivity, and build the teams and systems that deliver it.

Hands-on food manufacturing experience is essential for this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all manufacturing operations and build a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support growth and financial objectives
• Oversee production, maintenance, quality, inventory, distribution, and related functions
• Set and track KPIs, budgets, and performance goals
• Improve throughput, efficiency, labor utilization, product quality, and operating costs
• Ensure all processes meet quality, food safety, regulatory, and customer standards
• Strengthen operational systems, policies, procedures, and internal controls
• Drive projects that increase equipment reliability, facility performance, and production capacity
• Promote collaboration across manufacturing, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and distribution
• Coach and develop plant leaders and production management

Qualifications

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in food manufacturing
• 5+ years in direct production or plant operations management
• Strong knowledge of food manufacturing processes, food safety, GMPs, quality systems, and compliance
• Experience leading high-volume or complex manufacturing operations
• Demonstrated success improving productivity, efficiency, quality, and cost
• Solid understanding of plant maintenance, equipment reliability, safety, and facility operations
• Proven ability to build, develop, and retain strong leadership teams
• Experience setting performance standards and driving a continuous improvement culture
• Sound business judgment, balancing operational needs with financial goals
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with manufacturing ERP systems

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• Master's degree or advanced business/operations education preferred

Preferred

• Bilingual (Spanish)

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k)
• Short-term disability
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Paid holidays

Work Requirements

• Must currently reside in the Washington DC Metro area
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without employer sponsorship