Director of Operations

Perricone Juices•Beaumont, CA

27d•$175,000 - $225,000•Onsite

About The Position

Perricone Juices, which has joined forces with Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, is seeking an experienced Director of Operations to lead and advance operations at its Beaumont facility. The role provides strategic and hands-on leadership for a multi-shift manufacturing operation, directing plant activities related to production, extraction, processing, packaging, maintenance, shipping, and inventory management. The Director drives performance across safety, food safety, quality, cost, productivity, customer delivery, and employee engagement, ensuring schedules are met, resources are deployed effectively, and regulatory and customer requirements are satisfied. The position manages five subordinate supervisors overseeing approximately 60–70 employees across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging. It works closely with Quality Assurance, Human Resources, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and other departments. The Director serves as Plant Manager in their absence and has full decision-making authority for plant operations. The role is based at the Beaumont facility and is primarily day shift, with flexibility to support multiple shifts, weekends, holidays, and on-call operational needs as required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business Management, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent education and experience.
At least 10 years of progressive experience in food or beverage manufacturing operations; experience at plant management or large-scale operations level is preferred.
At least 5 years of food or beverage manufacturing experience, including 3 or more years of production supervision in a multi-shift environment.
Demonstrated experience leading multiple production departments, supervisors, and hourly employees in a manufacturing environment.
Working knowledge of HACCP, Juice HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, and applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.
Experience supporting GFSI-recognized audit programs, including SQF or BRCGS.
Solid understanding of OSHA safety practices, including LOTO, machine guarding, PPE, and powered industrial truck safety.
Hands-on understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and operational systems.
Demonstrated success using data-driven decisions to improve safety, quality, productivity, yield, cost, and overall plant performance.
Experience with production scheduling, MRP, ERP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems.
Experience managing departmental budgets, labor costs, operating expenses, and vendors providing supplies and services.
Strong leadership, interpersonal, supervisory, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to develop and deliver effective training programs in individual and group settings.
Ability to operate effectively in a changing or less-structured environment while establishing processes and systems that improve operational consistency.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including preparing reports, procedures, and business correspondence and presenting information to employees, managers, customers, and other stakeholders.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English.
Ability to work flexible hours as operational needs require, including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call coverage.
Ability to work with percentages, ratios, proportions, production yields, costs, volumes, and other operational calculations; apply basic algebra, geometry, and quantitative analysis.
Ability to solve practical problems, investigate root causes, make sound decisions, and translate instructions into actionable operating plans.

Nice To Haves

Experience in juice, citrus, dairy, or other fresh, short-shelf-life beverage manufacturing.
Advanced knowledge of juice processing, citrus or fresh produce handling, extraction, and cold-chain management.
Hands-on experience with HPP, pasteurization, high-speed filling and packaging lines, and related processing technologies.
HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement training.
Experience with Lean manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), or similar operational excellence programs.
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification or related supply chain credentials.
Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills; Spanish proficiency is preferred.
A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Management/Administration, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related discipline, combined with at least 10 years of progressively responsible food or beverage manufacturing experience; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business publications, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.

Responsibilities

Direct daily production activities across shifts to meet production schedules, volume, yield, quality, and customer delivery targets.
Oversee production planning, scheduling, workflow, processing methods, packaging, shipping, and workforce utilization.
Coordinate fruit receiving, extraction, pasteurization or high-pressure processing, filling, packaging, and cold storage.
Lead shift-startup meetings and daily accountability huddles; review performance, address production misses, and follow up on corrective actions.
Manage changeovers, line balancing, staffing, and labor deployment to reduce downtime, improve throughput, and control overtime.
Adjust schedules and priorities in response to demand, equipment availability, labor constraints, and raw material requirements.
Ensure products are manufactured and packaged on time and according to quality, food safety, and customer specifications.
Establish communication and accountability across departments and shifts; promote ownership and operational excellence.
Serve as Plant Manager in their absence, with full decision-making authority for plant operations.
Ensure shift compliance with Juice HACCP, food safety plans, GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulations and certifications.
Partner with Quality Assurance on product holds, process deviations, CCP monitoring, investigations, CAPA, verification activities, food safety systems, and audits.
Maintain readiness for regulatory, customer, organic, and GFSI-recognized certification audits, including SQF or BRCGS, as applicable.
Investigate recurring quality issues and implement preventive measures to reduce defects, waste, and customer complaints.
Lead a proactive safety culture through safety talks, floor observations, audits, hazard correction, training, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
Enforce safety practices including LOTO, PPE, machine guarding, and forklift and powered industrial truck safety; ensure environmental compliance.
Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors and Shift Leads; oversee staffing and performance across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging.
Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, evaluations, recognition, and employee development; partner with HR on attendance, performance management, employee relations, and policies.
Ensure appropriate staffing, cross-training, shift coverage, training records, and trainer qualifications; resolve employee concerns and operational conflicts.
Partner with Maintenance leadership on repairs, equipment reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance, and coordination of maintenance with production schedules.
Reduce unplanned downtime through equipment analysis, root-cause investigations, and corrective actions; improve reliability, availability, and overall equipment effectiveness.
Lead Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives, including 5S, SMED, standard work, waste reduction, and root-cause problem-solving.
Establish, monitor, and report KPIs such as OEE, production volume, schedule attainment, yield, labor efficiency, overtime, waste, downtime, safety, quality, and customer delivery.
Use production data and trend analysis to identify performance gaps, lead reviews, establish measurable action plans, and standardize improvements across departments and shifts.
Assist in developing and managing the plant operating budget; control labor, overtime, supplies, waste, material usage, and other expenses.
Identify productivity and cost-reduction opportunities and participate in capital planning and equipment improvement initiatives.
Ensure timely, accurate reporting through ERP, MRP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems; monitor inventory accuracy and production variances.
Support purchasing and vendor management for plant supplies, equipment, and services; present operational performance, financial results, risks, and improvement opportunities to senior leadership.
Direct and evaluate subordinate supervisors and departments, including assigning work, evaluating performance, administering discipline, addressing complaints, and ensuring adherence to company standards and applicable laws.