Associate Manager, Processing Operations

Unilever•Independence, MO

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Manager, Processing Operations is responsible for driving current and future manufacturing performance in the areas of Safety, Productivity, Cost, Quality, Delivery and People with a Continuous Improvement framework. This is a hybrid role with strategic and executional management of the site’s processing department. This individual has full responsibility for managing their department’s day-to-day manufacturing activities as well as working individually and on teams to identify areas of opportunity to cause beneficial changes. You’ll be part of a team that believes in doing work that matters — for people and the planet. Because here, we don’t just hire for jobs. We invite you to be part of something bigger.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree.
3+ years of Progressive Manufacturing Leadership experience.
Experience in establishing and maintaining relationships on all levels of the business, while creating a culture of safety, quality and operational excellence.

Nice To Haves

Technical degree in Engineering/ Business/ Management (preferred)
Experience in Food Manufacturing with processing operations
SAP and inventory management system experience

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end processing performance across Safety, Quality, Service, and Cost for the department.
Drive loss elimination strategy, not just execution—leveraging data, RCA, and standards to close gaps sustainably.
Ensure disciplined daily management systems (LSW, tier meetings, escalation) are embedded and effective.
Set the standard for SHE & Quality compliance, ensuring zero tolerance through leadership visibility and accountability.
Effectively prioritize and manage multiple workstreams, focusing resources on the highest-impact outcomes.
Build and sustain a high-performing, safety-first culture where standards are clear and consistently applied.
Translate site strategy into clear direction, expectations, and priorities for frontline leaders and teams.
Develop a strong leadership bench by coaching supervisors and holding them accountable for engagement and performance.
Foster a culture of inclusion, respect, and ownership, strengthening employee relations and union partnership.
Anticipate risks and proactively adjust plans to protect people, service, and production continuity.
Lead continuous improvement and culture transformation across the processing organization.
Partner cross-functionally (Maintenance, Quality, Planning, Logistics) to remove constraints and enable performance now and in the future.
Identify future capability needs and build robust training and development pipelines for the department.
Paradox Navigator: Balances competing priorities while maintaining focus on what drives the business forward.
Drive clarity on the critical few priorities that unlock department performance (losses, reliability, capability).
Ensure execution against clear KPIs and targets, with strong follow-through and accountability.
Embed Leader Standard Work and visual management to maintain focus and sustain results.
Balance short-term delivery with long-term capability and system improvements.