Occhio Search & Recruitment
Senior Plant Manager
Our client is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to transform processes and drive manufacturing excellence through people-centric and lean manufacturing strategies!
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
Guided by a strong set of core values and rooted within a family-owned culture, our client is ready to align people, processes, procedures, and organizational resources for its next chapter of growth. For 60+ years, our client has been producing high quality food products while delivering customized solutions to the food service and retail trade industries. Tied to strategic growth initiatives, our client has put a strong focus on building internal talent and on leveraging unique product lines and national distribution to drive growth.
We are seeking an experienced Senior Plant Manager to join a collaborative and results-oriented senior team who are passionate about taking operational success to the next level. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this newly defined role will guide a six-person leadership team, with oversight for warehouse, quality, maintenance, production, safety and sanitation management. Building best practices while fostering a people- first culture rooted in honest communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement is the goal.
YOUR MISSION AS SENIOR PLANT MANAGER
- SERVE AS AN ENTREPRENEURIAL PLANT LEADER – Serve as a senior member of operations team, identifying and implementing process improvement and change management initiatives to support strategic goals. Streamline operational strategies and lean initiatives with plant leadership across locations. Model and exemplify core values with strong integrity and ethics to ensure a positive workforce culture.
- EMPOWER A HIGH-PERFORMING PRODUCTION TEAM – Provide inspirational leadership for a team of six people leaders within a unionized environment, including day-to-day oversight for safety, production, quality, sanitation, maintenance and warehouse management. Ensure right people are in right seats, partnering closely with HR to proactively manage union relations, evaluate manager succession, and right- size each department structure for success. Communicate roadmap for growth with meaningful KPI’s.
- ENERGIZE & TRANSFORM BEST OPERATIONAL PRACTICES – In partnership with plant leadership, identify and implement action plans for improvement in each department and across two warehouse locations. Promote the optimal functioning and longevity of equipment through proactive management of all physical assets. Champion a safety-first culture across manufacturing operations, ensuring adherence to safety standards and fostering a workspace where safety is everyone’s responsibility. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and support the development of next-level policies and programs to foster adoption of enterprise-level quality and safety programs.
- LEAD LEAN & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES – Introduce a new lean and continuous improvement journey to drive a healthy sense of accountability, collaboration and ownership. Lead and complete a specific number of lean manufacturing projects aimed at waste reduction, process optimization, and cost savings. Track and report on the impact of these projects on operational efficiency. Utilize a data- driven approach to corrective action planning and root cause. Identify and execute on SOPs, one department at a time. Engage team to drive innovation and to foster adoption of new processes. Work with sister plant locations to identify and streamline best practices across multi-locations.
IS THIS A MATCH FOR YOU?
- You have gained 8-10+ years of progressive plant operations and plant management experience, including a minimum of 5+ years oversight for a team of people leaders.
- Experience within a union environment strongly preferred.
- You bring a demonstrated record of success leading team(s) within a USDA processing site, including strong know-how in lean manufacturing and substantial experience in manufacturing leadership roles.
- Prior experience as a Plant Manager or Operations Director in small-to-mid-sized facility, and/or Operations Manager in a large-sized processing site is ideal.
- You bring strong skills in lean manufacturing and in leading continuous improvement initiatives.
- You bring organizational and process transformation know-how. You bring experience communicating a vision and a road map with patience and clarity to a wide range of stakeholders.
- You are well-versed in budget management, project management and data analysis.
- You are willing to serve as a hands-on leader with the ability and desire to flex between strategic and tactical priorities required. Superior project management skills and a proactive mindset is required.
- You bring strong people leadership skills with a healthy dose of emotional intelligence. Ability to inspire and motivate, manage conflict, and foster a healthy organizational culture rooted in collaboration and high expectations is a must-have. You are well-versed in proactively communicating in a transparent manner and confidently interact at all levels and react with diplomacy and tact.
- Prior experience within family-owned and/or private equity ownership structures ideal.
- You are savvy with technology, including Microsoft Office Suite, and various ERP systems.
- Four-year college degree is required. MBA or advanced degree and/or relevant certifications a plus.
WHY JOIN US?
- MAKE A VISIBLE IMPACT – We are seeking a leader who can develop and implement a transformation roadmap that support strategic growth goals. You will drive process optimization and adoption of best practices. You will spearhead change management strategies ensure successful implementation of transformation initiatives through frequent and transparent communications.
- WE ARE COMMITED TO OUR LEAN JOURNEY – Our client is dedicated to an intentional lean journey. This role will be critical in challenging status quo to establish best processes to enhance our capabilities. Our lean journey will promote collaboration and encourage every team member to engage proactively.
- PEOPLE FIRST CULTURE – You will join a company who values opinions, new ideas, fresh eyes and a desire to challenge the status quo. Our client is passionate about caring for every team member and empowering individuals to be at their best and values transparency, honesty, innovation, and collaboration.
- COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION & BENEFITS PACKAGE – Our client offers a competitive base salary and annual bonus plan with comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances, matching 401K plan, profit sharing and paid time off.
LOCATION & TRAVEL
This position will be based at corporate headquarters and within the largest facility within 10-minutes of the downtown Saint Louis district. This position requires local onsite leadership as well as occasional travel (approx. 10%) to other plant locations in the Midwest. Relocation assistance is available for successful candidate.
READY TO APPLY?
Use the application form on this page to share your resume with Occhio Search. All resumes, referrals and general inquiries will be held strictly confidential. We ask that you direct all questions, referrals, and applications to our retained search consultant at Occhio.
For more information and or to make a referral, contact Sarah Krueger at sarah@occhiosearch.com or Angie Akerman at angie@occhiosearch.com at any time.
Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes differences in form of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, geography, socioeconomic status, age, politics, religion, philosophy, sexual orientation, gender identity or express and veteran status. All applicants who share this goal are encouraged to apply and we look forward to hearing from you!