Operations Manager

Want to lead a team and drive real change? As an Operations Manager, you'll oversee production, shipping, and sanitation, improving processes and leading a dedicated team to success.

Freshpack is seeking an Operations Manager. The Operations Manager oversees Production, Shipping & Receiving, and Sanitation teams across multiple shifts, ensuring efficient operations, compliance with food safety standards, and continuous process improvements. This role involves managing team performance, optimizing training, driving innovation, and coordinating production schedules to meet business goals.

About Freshpack: Freshpack is an industry leader in custom cheese packaging, with products available nationwide in major retailers. Over the past 25 years, our team has expanded from 15 to 290 employees, and we're positioned for substantial growth in the next 3-5 years. Join us to help transform project management in our organization as we continue to grow.

Duties/Responsibilities

Production, Shipping & Receiving and Sanitation Team Management (two/three shifts of production, two S&R and one sanitation)

• Motivate and manage Production Superintendents to efficiently execute production schedules
  • Conduct daily production meetings to align leadership and manage exceptions
  • Create deadlines and schedules, and communicate changes/deviations to all key groups
• Optimize training and development programs to foster continual learning within team
• Continuously improve all aspects of production/sanitation process
  • Organize and communicate process changes within department, as well as external departments affected by modifications
  • Organize projects large enough to CapEx and present to leadership team
    • Prepare presentations with projected costs and ROI
    • Upon approval, collaborate with other departments on implementation
  • Establish annual and project-based budgets, plan and prioritize resources accordingly
    • Develop open lines of communication built on trust with plant employees to ensure their feedback/ideas are valued; leverage feedback to create and implement process improvements
  • Manage chemical supplier
  • Maintain and improve SOP/SSOP for the production and sanitation process
• Proactively develop team and leadership opportunities
  • Conduct regular performance appraisals
  • Establish corrective actions for team members that are underperforming
• Weekly reporting on KPI program and approval; development of new metrics as needed

Food Safety and Product Quality

• Ensure production teams are following established FS/PQ policies and procedures
• Effectively run the production department to produce safe, quality product
• Participation in Food Safety Team meetings/discussions
• Formal corrective action responses to FS/PQ leadership for production and sanitation nonconformances

Innovation, Product Development & Project Management

• Participate in New Product Development/Launch committee
  • Review key documents and proactively provide feedback
  • Attend first production runs to guarantee products hit specifications and ensure that customer expectations are met/exceeded

Planning and Time Management

• Lead weekly planning meetings
  • Conduct meetings with each team to assess schedules and plan for equipment and personnel needs

Hours of Work and Other Details

• This position will be generally expected to work 40-50 hours per week (M-F 7:00am to 4:30pm office hours)
  • Biweekly visits to off shifts during major process changes and/or when onboarding new off shift leaders
• This position is “hands-on” and regular line work should be expected
• Direct and indirect reports
  • Admin staff including a Process Engineer and Master Scheduler
  • A Shipping & Receiving (S&R) team consisting of a S&R Supervisor, a S&R Lead, 2 S&R Clerks, 5 day shift Distribution Workers, 3 second shift Distribution Workers, and a part-time driver
  • Day shift currently consisting of 2 Production Superintendents, 2 Junior Superintendents, 12 Production Line Foremen and about 106 Production Staff
  • Second shift currently consisting of 1 Superintendent, 2 Junior Superintendents, 10 Foremen and about 72 Production Staff
  • Third shift currently consisting of 1 Supervisor, 1 Foreman, and 12 Sanitation Technicians

Compensation details: 120000-150000 Yearly Salary

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