Vice President Production Operations

Finding the right place to grow your career isn’t (over) easy, so we’re here to help by sharing a few reasons why the grass is greener at Vital Farms. We think you’ll appreciate our focus on Conscious Capitalism, which drives business decisions that benefit all our stakeholders (leading to even better business results). You might be drawn to our innovative approach and refusal to settle for the “way things have always been done.” Or you could find it exciting to grow your skills while working for an industry-leading brand. Whether you’re into our values, our brand, or our egg-cellent puns, we hope you’ll join our Crew and help us change the world 108 square feet at a time!

About The Role:

The Vice President of Production Operations plans, leads, and manages all production operations in a safe, quality focused, cost-efficient manner supporting achievement of on time and accurate delivery. With a keen focus on coaching and developing talent, the VP’s goal is to deliver an operations strategy that supports the most streamlined production environment and empowers leadership and their teams to negotiate and partner with all stakeholders. In this role you will embody Vital Farms values and collaborate with leaders at all levels of the organization as they manage a team that is accountable for all production, distribution, and related management.

As the VP of Production Operations, you will have a seat at the table, voice and input into our growth and expansion plan and will be responsible for setting and ensuring the achievement of performance targets and strategic initiatives. You design and set operational goals that are consistent with the vision of the organization and are responsible for the production operations departmental budgets, both capital and operating. You will foster a coaching culture that develops your leadership team, so they are equipped to provide purpose, role clarity and inspiration the crew in their span of care, so each know and understand how their unique roles and experiences contribute to overall team success.

What You’ll Do:

• Remain cognizant of technological advances in the field and constantly evaluate and implement new systems and technology with intentionality
• Liaise with key stakeholders to support automation and modernization of our plant(s), as well as manufacturers on material and equipment management, final production engineering, cost optimization and price negotiation
• Be accountable for production timelines that meet or exceed business expectations while operating in a flexible, agile manner
• Provide strong leadership, management, development, and training to crew including cultivation of a team-oriented, problem-solving culture
• Contribute to our vision of being a destination employer by hiring, developing, and retaining a high performing, agile team that will meet the needs of the business today, and become future leaders tomorrow
• Manage product integrity and order specifications compliance
• Anticipate potential problems and risk, generate new ideas and solutions
• Set a vision and clearly define what success looks like for all members of production operations from site leaders through hourly crew members
• Guide all communication in partnership with the Director of Operations regarding the business focus, production schedule and execution of daily, weekly, and monthly goals
• Build strong partnerships with key stakeholders across including supply chain, quality, sales and marketing
• Drive the holistic production process with an ability to meet demand in a flexible and agile manner
• First and foremost, be a leader who has proven experience in business transformation and expansion through building a high performing team who’s top priority is their crew
• Continuously reevaluate the team and align the team/processes to best service the brands.

What You Bring to the Table:

• 10-15 years of experience in production, operations, or manufacturing, including multi-site management
• Track record of success building, managing, and leading a high performing team through meaningful coaching and engagement
• Excellent time management skills with a sense of priority for deadlines and attention to detail
• You give a sh*t – You believe in acting like an owner and making Vital Farms a place to be proud of.
• Committed to continually raising the standards by creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial risk taking
• You can walk in someone else’s boots – You seek to understand other’s viewpoints and think that you get to better answers by sitting on the same side of the table.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across departments and divisions supporting a team environment
• You raise the standards – You know growth can be hard, but you strive to improve yourself and others each day.
• An analytical mindset, but also the ability to apply art with the science
• You don’t walk on eggshells – You’re not afraid to leave the bullsh*t behind and have honest conversations.
• You’re no hero – You know the power of teamwork and celebrate the work of others before your own.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using data to drive positive team and business outcomes
• Computer proficiency in MS Office: Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Strategic leadership skills, including the ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive projects to completion as well as work with external partners/consultants
• Ability to travel to site(s); approximately 50-75% travel
• Experience with an ERP system, NetSuite and Microsoft D365 experience a plus

What We Bring to the Table

• Be part of a movement to bring ethically produced food to the table
• Competitive pay and benefits
• Company wide bonus program
• Generous retirement contributions
• Work in a Mission-focused environment alongside passionate colleagues
• Learning and Development team dedicated to your growth
• Free eggs, butter, and ghee, along with friends and family discounts
• Fun team SWAG

Who We Are:

Vital Farms is a Certified B Corp that sources and markets delicious, high-quality, ethically-sourced egg and dairy products nationwide. We started on a single family-farm in Austin, TX in 2007, with 20 Rhode Island hens and a drive to raise the standards in sustainable agriculture. Today, Vital Farms is THE leading producer of pasture-raised eggs, partnering with more than 275 family farms, and selling into over 18,000 grocery stores around the country. We believe that a healthy bottom line is the result of healthy business practices, and we care deeply about supporting all our stakeholders. This includes our crew, our consumers, our retailers, and of course our happy hens and contented cows. In short, we exist to improve the lives of people, animals, and our planet through food.

Next Steps:

Shortly after you complete your application, you'll receive a follow-up email elaborating on any potential next steps in our process. If you don't immediately receive said follow-up email, we would highly encourage you to check your spam filter!

In order to fulfill Vital Farms mission to “bring ethically produced food to the table,” we seek to build teams that leverage diverse perspectives to create a welcoming and innovative environment that is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunities.

To that end, we make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business need. Vital Farms does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other status protected by law.