VP Manufacturing & Operations
ChocXO Chocolatier
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Descrizione del lavoro
ChocXO Chocolatier, based in Rockwall, TX, invites a seasoned VP of Manufacturing & Operations to lead two premium chocolate facilities (Delta, BC and Rockwall, TX). This hands-on, high-accountability role drives end-to-end operational performance across manufacturing execution, food safety leadership, QA capability, OT systems, and operational excellence.
You will build disciplined processes, KPI cadence, and a culture of compliance, safety, and continuous improvement.
Competenze
- 15+ years in food manufacturing operations.
- Proven ability to lead multiple plants and cross-border teams.
- Experience implementing AI, automation, and data analytics in manufacturing.
- Deep knowledge of food safety systems, QA, audit readiness.
- Strong SOP discipline and process validation expertise.
Mansioni
- Lead Plant Managers at Delta, BC and Rockwall, TX.
- Establish KPI cadence and operating rhythm across sites.
- Oversee OT systems, data integrity, and system discipline on the floor.
- Drive food safety, QA, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
- Own SOPs, process validation, and GO/NO-GO decision gates.
- Manage inventory, scrap, loss, and cost discipline with safety in mind.
- Lead training, safety culture, and accountability across the organization.
- Drive continuous improvement and AI-driven manufacturing efficiency.
Conoscenze
Descrizione del lavoro
ChocXO Chocolatier LLC is a leading North American premium chocolate manufacturer grounded in innovation, quality, and sustainability. We are a fast-growing, vertically integrated food manufacturing company operating across branded CPG and contract manufacturing. In the past year, we have scaled from one manufacturing facility to two, expanded our brand portfolio, and invested heavily in new capacity, innovation, and infrastructure.
Our footprint includes Delta, British Columbia: Our 60,000 sq ft, fully automated, SQF Level 3 operational flagship, and Rockwall, Texas: Our new 225,000 sq ft manufacturing and warehouse complex, scheduled to open in 2027.
We are now at the stage where systems, discipline, and repeatability matter as much as growth. We are building an enterprise-grade operations platform designed to scale—not a collection of plants dependent on heroics. We foster a culture of accountability where professionals thrive in structured environments and uphold rigorous standards.
The VP, Manufacturing & Operations reports directly to the President and leads plant operations at both of ChocXO’s manufacturing facilities: Delta, British Columbia and Rockwall, Texas. The Plant Managers at each location report directly to this role. The VP is the senior leader accountable for end-to-end operational performance across both sites, including manufacturing execution, food safety leadership, QA capability, OT systems oversight, and operational excellence.
This is a hands-on, high-accountability leadership role. It requires deep manufacturing judgment, disciplined execution, and the confidence to stop production, reset standards, and enforce compliance when required.
- Directly lead, develop, and hold accountable the Plant Managers for Delta, BC and Rockwall, TX
- Establish consistent expectations, KPIs, and operating cadence across all sites
- Ensure alignment between plant-level execution and enterprise standards
- Be visibly present in plants — especially during audits, trials, startups, and corrective actions
- Provide leadership and oversight for OT systems supporting manufacturing operations
- Production monitoring
- Process controls
- Data integrity
- System discipline
- Ensure OT systems support repeatability, visibility, and accountability, not workarounds
- Partner with engineering and IT, but own operational effectiveness of systems on the floor
- Provide senior leadership on food safety expectations and audit readiness
- Set the standard for:
- Regulatory compliance
- Customer audits
- Third-party food safety certifications
- Build and lead a strong, credible QA organization
- Ensure quality systems are proactive, documented, and enforced — not reactive or cosmetic
- Personally set the tone that food safety and quality are non-negotiable
- Establish and enforce standardized operating procedures (SOPs)
- Own process validation, trial approval, and GO / NO-GO decision gates
- Eliminate reliance on undocumented adjustments, heroics, or tribal knowledge
- Ensure processes run within defined parameters, with normal staffing, on repeat days
- Own accountability for scrap, rework, obsolete inventory, and yield loss
- Implement root-cause analysis and corrective action discipline
- Drive early-warning indicators and corrective action — not post-event explanations
- Embed cost awareness without compromising safety or quality
- Build structured training systems for operators, supervisors, and plant leadership
- Lead facility safety as a core operational priority
- Establish and enforce an accountability culture:
- Clear expectations
- clear consequences
- Consistent follow-through
- Partner with HR, but retain operational authority and standards
- Drive operational excellence across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale
- Standardize best practices across plants
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives grounded in data and discipline
- Ensure improvements are institutionalized, not personality-dependent
- Use AI and advanced analytics to drive efficiency, throughput, and yield improvement across manufacturing and warehouse operations
- Identify, evaluate, and deploy practical AI tools (e.g., predictive maintenance, demand and production scheduling, quality and vision inspection, downtime and scrap analysis)
- Leverage AI-enabled insights from OT and ERP data to make faster, fact-based decisions and catch issues before they become losses
- Build team capability and comfort with AI tools, ensuring adoption is disciplined, documented, and compliant with food safety and data integrity requirements
- Plant Managers are strong, accountable leaders — not firefighters
- Food safety audits are predictable, calm, and well-prepared
- QA is respected, not overridden
- OT systems provide clarity and control, not noise
- Scrap, rework, and operational “surprises” trend down materially
- Operations run consistently across plants and shifts
- The President is not required to intervene in day-to-day operations
- AI and automation tools are delivering measurable gains in efficiency, yield, and uptime
- 15+ years in food manufacturing operations
- Proven multi-plant leadership experience
- Deep, practical expertise in:
- Food safety systems
- Quality assurance
- Audit management
- Allergen control
- Sanitation validation
- Process control
- Experience scaling operations in fast-growth environments
- Sufficient, hands-on experience applying AI, automation, and data analytics in a manufacturing environment to drive measurable efficiency gains
- Cross-border operations experience (U.S./Canada) strongly preferred
- Exceptionally detail-oriented
- Disciplined, methodical, and structured
- Calm, firm, and decisive
- Comfortable holding leaders accountable
- Respected on the plant floor — not theatrical, not passive
- Strong presence without ego
- Comfortable saying “no” to bad ideas, shortcuts, or pressure
- “Idea-first” operators without execution depth
- Leaders who normalize exceptions and workarounds
- Consultants masquerading as operators
- People who rely on heroics instead of systems
- Anyone uncomfortable enforcing standards or stopping production
- Based at Rockwall, TX (DFW area). This is a fully on-site role, not remote, because presence matters
- Regular travel between the Rockwall and Delta plants is required, including during audits, trials, startups, and corrective actions
- Must be able to travel between the U.S. and Canada
This role is central to building a durable, scalable manufacturing platform.
The right leader will:
- Bring order to complexity
- Reduce operational risk
- Strengthen food safety and quality credibility
- Enable profitable, disciplined growth
If you are a serious food manufacturing operations leader who believes strong systems beat heroics, we want to talk.
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