Director of Manufacturing

JonnyPops•Elk River, MN

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing is a senior operations leader responsible for end-to-end manufacturing performance at JonnyPops. This role owns 24/7 production execution, safety, repairs & maintenance priorities, and people leadership, while building the systems, standard work, and leadership capability required to scale. This leader integrates people, process, and equipment to deliver safe, high-quality, efficient production that supports brand growth, seasonal demand, and long-term capacity plans—operating both in the business and on the business.

Requirements

Bachelors (or equivalent experience) in Manufacturing Operations, Industrial Engineering, Operations or related field.
7+ years of food manufacturing experience preferably in wet food / dairy products.
Demonstrated experience working with LEAN Manufacturing Principles.
Working mechanical knowledge of equipment.
Must be familiar with GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) and QC standards required in a foods packaging environment.
Experience hiring, leading and developing an effective production team.
Must be able to manage multiple tasks and balance competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
Proven experience maintaining or implementing metrics to measure and manage performance.
Effective written communication and presentation skills. Ability to influence up, down and across organization levels.
Strong MS Office skills (Excel, Word, and Outlook)
Strong planning and prioritization skills.
Adaptable, resilient, flexible, fast-paced/sense of urgency.

Responsibilities

Ensure exceptional plant performance as measured by: Human & Food Safety, Attainment, Scrap, Labor $/Pop and Overhead $/Pop
Own 24/7 manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and high quality output
Establish, document, maintain, and sustain standard work for critical manufacturing processes
Generate and lead continuous improvement initiatives to increase throughput, reliability, and efficiency
Leverages production and operating data and other inputs to direct the resolution of operational, manufacturing, and maintenance issues to ensure minimum costs and prevent operational delays
Partner closely with Quality department to embed food safety and quality systems into daily operations
Reinforce quality as a nonnegotiable operating discipline
Create and sustain a strong safety culture across all shifts and teams
Ensure compliance with OSHA and internal safety standards
Proactively address hazards, near misses, and incidents with corrective actions
Consistently create safety awareness among all employees to prevent safety incidents and achieve company safety goals
Develop and manage R&M/Engineering priorities to ensure proper maintenance of the physical plant and equipment for quality and food safety, line up-time, and production efficiency.
Own preventative maintenance execution and downtime reduction strategies
Partner with Engineering to ensure equipment reliability and uptime
Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and managers to build a high performing manufacturing team
Ensure effective communication, collaboration, and teamwork between all plant operations team members
Ensure clear expectations, accountability, and performance management
Foster engagement, ownership, and continuous improvement at all levels
Hire, develop, and retain talent aligned with JonnyPops values
Effectively partner with Supply Chain, Quality, R&D, Engineering, Finance, and Commercial teams
Provide operational input on new products, scale up feasibility, and commercialization
Manage manufacturing budget and operating costs
Monitor labor, material, and overhead efficiency
Use metrics and scorecards to drive fact based decisions and continuous improvement
Ensure all frozen novelty products meet established safety, quality, and regulatory standards (e.g., FDA, HACCP, USDA).
Partner with Quality leadership to develop and implement quality control protocols, inspection procedures, and corrective actions to maintain product excellence.
Participate in regular audits and inspections of production facilities, addressing issues proactively.