Director, Plant Operations

MegaFood•Roanoke Rapids, NC

39d•$135,000 - $235,000•Onsite

About The Position

MegaFood, a Certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet Partner, leverages 50+ years of scientific know-how to expertly craft the most efficacious, planet-first supplements powered by plants. Driven by its belief that plants grown from healthy soil is a solution for making the people and the planet healthier, MegaFood works with trusted farm partners who share its commitment to organic and regenerative agriculture. MegaFood products are tested for 150+ pesticides and carry third-party certifications such as Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Glyphosate Residue Free. MegaFood is also Certified Plastic Neutral through its partnership with RePurpose Global and has enabled recovery of over 500,000 pounds of nature-bound plastic since it became certified in 2023. Learn more at megafood.com or follow @megafood on Instagram, @megafoodfans on Facebook and @MegaFood on LinkedIn. This role is not available for sponsorship including I-983 participation. MegaFood is seeking a results-driven, transformative, and experienced Director of Plant Operations to lead manufacturing performance at our Londonderry, NH facility. The Director is responsible for establishing short- and long-term plans for the site and directing day-to-day operations across all manufacturing functions, including Manufacturing, Packaging, Safety, Facilities & Maintenance, Logistics, Inventory, and Warehouse. The ideal candidate demonstrates a genuine passion for manufacturing and is committed to fostering a strong operational culture by embedding a consistent methodology across all teams directly led by the Director, while building and leading a high-performing operations team and fostering High Performing Teams (HPT) principles. As the Director of Plant Operations, this role will provide overall leadership for all aspects of plant operations, including production efficiency, product quality, regulatory compliance, physical asset management, supply chain effectiveness, cost control, workplace safety/security/health, employee relations, and development (defined as coaching, mentoring, and supporting career growth for plant staff). The Director will also serve as a strategic partner to our commercial teams and help level up how we operate internally. The Director will be responsible for building and leading a high-performing team through servant leadership attributes such as empathy, active listening, empowerment, and a commitment to staff development. They will identify best practices and drive improvements that ensure delivery of Operations strategies in strong collaboration with Supply Chain leadership, supporting the company’s growth agenda. This leader will foster a people-focused culture with a family feel, while ensuring operational excellence remains at the core. They will build upon a positive, winning culture that values both performance and people.

Requirements

10+ years of experience at a leadership level in a manufacturing environment, ideally with management of 100+ employees.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered in lieu of degree.
Possesses proven manufacturing management experience and demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively across functional areas, including product development, supply chain, finance, and sales.
Track record of combining operational excellence with a pragmatic approach to people, process, and systems; able to instill a continuous improvement mindset throughout the business, measuring and driving performance to improve productivity, quality, and safety results.
Expertise in Operational Excellence methodologies, with a track record of implementing continuous improvement initiatives and driving cost and performance optimization.
Significant experience in leading manufacturing performance in an FMCG environment with exceptional results.
Operates with a partnership mentality and collaborates across the facility and broader supply chain organization.
Leads with a cross-functional mindset with a transparent communication style.
Develops, assesses, and coaches talent at varying levels.

Nice To Haves

Experience in consumer products manufacturing, including food, beverage, vitamins/minerals/supplements (VMS), wellness, or pet products, is a plus.
Knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma principles preferred.
Experience managing third-party logistics (3PL) providers is preferred.
Experience working in a company with complex supply chain.
Industry experience could include VMS, food, beverage, personal care, beauty, or other FDA-regulated categories.

Responsibilities

Align manufacturing priorities with the goals and objectives of the company.
Bridge communication gaps by engaging the cross-functional leadership team as needed to improve performance.
Design and communicate a manufacturing business plan; establish, communicate, and implement long-term goals for the site to promote effectiveness and efficiency.
Develop a team culture that promotes alignment and support among cross-functional team members.
Create an environment that can flex to meet the demands of the business, supports the retention and development of the team members to deliver a higher level of services and performance.
Develop a cascading culture of root cause analysis and corrective actions to address safety, quality, production-related, performance and employee relations issues.
Through direct reports and frontline leadership, ensure organizational compliance with all cGMPs and regulatory requirements to maintain a Food Safe operation.
In partnership with the Engineering team, develop and manage site-level capital plans and lead justification for expenditures. This includes sustaining projects to improve current operational efficiencies and investments to support future business requirements.
Champion safe work practices while influencing plant-wide safety performance. Focus staff on safety in all aspects of operations.
Resolve safety problems at a root cause level, support and/or lead safety training and related safety requirements for facilities.
Ensure self and staff keep up-to-date on technical knowledge and developments that impact roles. Use this information to drive improvements and/or prepare for changing requirements.
Lead and manage a positive collaborative culture to motivate employees and maximize productivity; develop and coach leaders across a multi-shift operation.
Build the capability of direct reports daily to ensure continuous improvement.
Support training and education of all functional roles throughout the production organization.