Plant Director

TITLE: Plant Director (Tulare CA)

REPORTS TO: VP, Manufacturing & Quality

LOCATION: Tulare, CA

Lactalis Heritage Dairy is currently seeking candidates to join our team in Tulare, CA.

Lactalis Group, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do.

If you’re looking for a unique experience with a company that offers strong brands, professional expertise, and a dynamic work environment that champions entrepreneurial spirit, hands-on responsibility, and real opportunity for career development, we want to hear from you!

Lactalis Heritage Dairy: inviting you to share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE.

From your PASSION to ours

The Plant Director is responsible for leading and managing the plant as an industrial profit center, meeting safety, quality, volume, and delivery requirements at the best possible cost. S/he is responsible for the 4 key pillars of People Management, Products, Financial Management, and Equipment, with the aim of satisfying consumers and customers, creating a culture that respects Lactalis, industry and regulatory rules and the Lactalis values (Engagement, Ambition, Simplicity), while fostering employee engagement and increasing the site’s competitiveness, performance, and expertise to ensure long term stability.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

People Management

• Accountable for people safety
• Inspire, direct, motivate, encourage and evaluate her/his team
• Manage and develop employee skills and expertise
• Promote a positive work environment
• Oversee all HR management within the site, including labor relations

Products

• Accountable for food safety and compliance with all regulations
• Ensure implementation of and compliance with the Lactalis quality policy
• Ensure compliance with product specifications
• Serve as a champion for ongoing product quality and improvement and for improving and simplifying processes

Financial Management

• Ensure Lactalis financial rules are applied
• Monitor the site’s results in real time
• Analyze performance and implement effective action plans to close gaps and improve performance
• Create, monitor and lead a savings plan to achieve ambitious budget commitments
• Report efficiently and with simplicity within required deadlines

Technology & Equipment

• Propose a master plan for the site
• Site maintenance (equipment, installations, buildings), including the safety of equipment, installations and the environment
• Propose a capital investment plan, tied to business goals and oversee the implementation and effectiveness of approved projects
• Optimize and develop the performance of equipment: safety/ergonomics, capacity/reliability/downtime/loss reduction, hygiene/cleaning, energy, and maintenance

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education and Experience

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience required; MBA preferred
• 15 years Management experience including Production, Packaging, Warehouse and/or Distribution required; experience in the Food Industry preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of OSHA, Food Safety, FDA and USDA, and ISO and certifications within the food industry (FSSC, ISO 9001)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong business acumen including financial planning and management
• Analytical, problem solving and decision making skills; being able to think outside the box; exercise sound judgment and critical thinking
• Ability to prioritize and manage day to day operations and projects in a changing, complex, time sensitive environment
• Collaborative mindset and proven ability to lead in a team based environment
• Strong proficiency with computer systems, including ERP and Microsoft Office applications

Lactalis Heritage Dairy is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.