Job Description

The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day manufacturing operations at our Ocala facilities. This role ensures the effective and efficient coordination of resources, ingredients, finished goods, equipment, and personnel. The Plant Manager will work collaboratively across departments, including Safety, RAQA, R&D, Scheduling & Planning, Maintenance, Finance, and Engineering to meet or exceed company KPI’s for Safety, Quality, and Productivity.

Essential Duties:

• Lead manufacturing efforts in coordination with cross-functional departments.
• Manage production budgets, resources, schedules, and key performance metrics.
• Drive process improvements across operations to increase utilization and reduce losses – Continuous Improvement (CI) Goals
• Ensure compliance with company and industry standards, including Safety, Quality (SQF), & Lean Manufacturing (CI).
• Promote a high-performance culture emphasizing safety, food safety, product quality, continuous improvement, and team development (Hiring, Coaching, Disciplinary Actions).
• Develop, implement, and revise SOPs to ensure alignment with safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering and maintenance to support capital projects and equipment reliability initiatives.
• Uphold a positive and productive team environment by removing obstacles and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Conduct regular plant-wide communication meetings across all shifts.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of leadership experience in a food manufacturing environment, with an oversight of at least 5+ direct reports in small to mid-sized facilities.  Prior Plant Manager Experience preferred.
• Proficient in SAP and Microsoft Office applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong leadership, team building, coaching, and communication skills.
• Experience with lean manufacturing principles and business metric-driven environments.
• Willingness to work on a flexible schedule; some travel may be required.
• In-depth knowledge of SQF and food safety standards.
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels, including executive leadership.