Director Of Production Operations

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, PRODUCTION

As the Director of Operation & Production, you will be a contributing member of the Company’s leadership team and will be responsible for the overall manufacturing strategy of the business, as well as developing and delivering the annual operations plan for the facilities under your responsibility, including strong relationship management of our suppliers and manufacturing partners. You will be responsible for production planning in multiple types of drying operations and raw material processing. You will also oversee the planning of the packaging line process and lead the effort to hit delivery timelines and maximize efficiency.

You will work with leadership to and implement strategies to drive improvements that lead to meeting and/or exceeding the short-, mid-, and long-term; while staying true to our core values of Honest, Integrity, Respect and Hard Work.

Responsibilities:

• Champion and support a culture with a high level of Team Member engagement, where everyone is an owner, and everyone wins together
• Spanish (or additional) language skills preferred but not required
• Minimal travel, if any
• Interface with local and regional authorities and agencies to ensure compliance with required standards (safety, regulatory, environmental, etc.)
• Develop the Operations organization, including organizational design, hiring, recruitment, training and retention of employees and succession planning
• Provide oversight and support to large capital expansion projects with an overall focus on safety, food safety, product quality, and culture
• Work cross functionally with Quality Manager to support continual food safety development
• Develop and champion a strong health and safety culture including metrics and results
• Establish and maintain processes and workflows that enable efficient integration of operations to support the highest levels of customer service and growth
• Must be based in Indianapolis, IN or the surrounding area
• Promote a culture and build capabilities to manufacture products at the highest quality and food safety standards
• Ensure operational KPI’s including safety, quality, cost, and productivity are in place, properly measured, and being met, or exceeded, at each facility
• Lead and provide oversight of manufacturing at our facilities
• Develop annual and long-term capital planning in support of operational deliverables and business growth

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Overall business acumen, negotiation skills, and end-to-end supply chain understanding
• Excellent leadership skills, as evidenced by a track record of hiring, retaining, developing, and motivating top-tier internal Operations talent, as well as influencing external partners
• Results-oriented leader who is self-motivated to achieve and exceed targets and who will empower, motivate, and inspire others similarly. A team leader and team player who holds self and other accountable
• History of hands-on implementation and accountability through systems and processes for workforce safety, food safety, product quality, productivity, Lean/TPM culture implementation, customer satisfaction, and operating margins
• Relevant experience in contract manufacturing or other supply chain roles (procurement, planning, commercialization, business operations, etc.)
• Financially solid, with the ability to analyze key financial reports
• Excellent communication (oral and written) skills
• Developing, influencing, and driving direction and moving strategies forward aligned with overall business goals
• An unquestioned level of integrity, with high level of flexibility, tenacity, and physical/intellectual energy
• A personality and manner that demonstrates confidence & respect for others.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Engineering, Business, Manufacturing)
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the manufacturing field with food or pet food, meat, dairy, industries most desirable
• A strategic orientation with the ability to apply a solid grasp of business management principles and act opportunistically, in the context of the Company’s structure and business
• Data-driven problem-solving approach, with solid financial skills to manage and oversee all financial matters of the manufacturing organization
• Ability to drive an organization to high levels of safety and performance, as evidenced by a track record of consistent delivery and development of systems and processes to support Team Members, customers, and business needs
• A “roll up your sleeves” strategic doer, with a “get it done” attitude, and strong interpersonal skills that are equally effective in a boardroom, customer meeting, as well as on the manufacturing floor.
• Negotiation skills

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Paid Time off
• Company covered continued education
• Paid Sick Time

Work Location: 100% on site in Lawrence, Indiana