Director of Plant Operations
Location: New York
Reports to: Vice President of Plant Operations
Salary: $170,000 - $190,000
About the Opportunity
Nter Talent is proud to be partnering with an industry-leading food manufacturing and distribution business to recruit a Director of Plant Operations. This is a critical leadership role within a fast-paced, high-growth organization that supplies fresh products to customers across the region.
Reporting directly to the Vice President of Plant Operations, you will be responsible for leading all aspects of plant operations, driving operational excellence, developing high-performing teams, and delivering world-class performance across safety, quality, productivity, cost and customer service.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced operations leader who thrives in complex, high-volume manufacturing environments and enjoys building engaged teams while implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead all day-to-day plant operations, ensuring the safe, efficient and profitable manufacture of products.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support business growth, customer satisfaction and operational excellence.
• Drive a culture of safety, quality, accountability and continuous improvement throughout the facility.
• Lead, coach and develop departmental leaders across Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Warehouse, Inventory, Food Safety and Quality.
• Deliver key operational KPIs across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Labor Efficiency, Waste, OEE and Productivity.
• Partner closely with Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Finance, Commercial and Human Resources to ensure seamless business operations.
• Lead capacity planning, labor planning and resource allocation to meet changing customer demand.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives to eliminate waste, improve efficiencies and optimize plant performance.
• Oversee production scheduling, inventory accuracy, warehouse operations and material flow to maximize operational performance.
• Ensure full compliance with all Food Safety, HACCP, GMP, FDA, OSHA and company standards.
• Support capital investment projects, equipment installations and plant expansion initiatives.
• Develop succession plans and create a high-performance culture through coaching, mentoring and employee engagement.
• Own operational budgets and identify opportunities to improve profitability through cost control and process optimization.
About You
We're looking for an experienced manufacturing leader with a proven track record of delivering results within food manufacturing or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
You'll bring:
• Significant leadership experience within food manufacturing, food production, fresh food, beverage or consumer packaged goods.
• Experience leading large manufacturing teams in high-volume, fast-paced operations.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement and operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience managing multiple departments including Production, Warehouse, Maintenance and Quality.
• Demonstrated success improving productivity, labor efficiency, quality and cost performance.
• Experience managing operational budgets and capital expenditure projects.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance operational performance and customer expectations.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, Food Safety, FDA and OSHA regulations.
What's on Offer
• Base salary of $175,000 - $190,000.
• Comprehensive healthcare package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability coverage.
• 401(k) with employer matching.
• Generous paid time off, including holidays and sick leave.
• The opportunity to lead large-scale manufacturing operations within a growing organization where your impact will be highly visible.
• Excellent long-term career progression and leadership development opportunities.
If you're an experienced food manufacturing leader looking for your next executive challenge, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today or contact Nter Talent for a confidential discussion.