Manufacturing Site Director

Land O'Lakes • Tulare, CA

2d

About The Position

As the Manufacturing Site Director for our Tulare, CA location, you’ll be at the forefront of driving excellence in safety, quality, sanitation, cost management, customer service, production, and employee relations. Championing dairy manufacturing, quality, optimizing plant assets through the use data and AI, and fostering a culture of positive employee relations. Tulare is a milk balancing facility that operates around the clock, every day of the year, receiving fresh milk and producing top-quality butter and powder. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our facility, developing and executing strategies, managing resources to maximize profitability, and exceeding customer expectations.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing experience, demonstrating strong leadership, a track record of delivering sustainable results, and proven success in LEAN, Six Sigma, CTS (cost-to-serve), and Employee Relations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Food Science, Agriculture, Business Administration, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, or a related field is required.
• Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and collaboration, enhancing plant culture and driving business results through effective people leadership and development.
• Skilled in developing strategic plans and translating them into actionable initiatives for site improvement.
• Proven experience in leading manufacturing transformation and change management efforts that result in cost savings and a stronger plant culture.
• Experience managing union facilities.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer a master’s degree in related fields.
• Progressive manufacturing experience in Dairy, specifically raw milk and cream receiving and processing highly desired.
• Lean/Continuous Improvement certifications

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate plant staff at all levels to achieve operational goals.
• Champion human and food safety.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (EHS, Quality, R&D, Strategic Operations, Finance, Sales, etc.).
• Apply technical expertise to solve problems and deliver high-quality cheese products.
• Build strong member, cooperative, and employee relationships through authentic engagement.
• Set and communicate clear strategic direction; execute with excellence.
• Advise operations management on long-term goals and drive performance in cost, quality, safety, people, and environment.
• Drive innovation and reliability through the application of AI, automation, and advanced technologies
• Implement cost-saving initiatives for continuous improvement.
• Assess and implement organizational changes to meet budget and cost-to-serve objectives.
• Demonstrate financial acumen in evaluating plant efficiency, material yield, and labor productivity.
• Develop and manage capital budgets.
• Resolve issues in quality, logistics, sourcing, and engineering within a matrix organization.
• Oversee employee relations and manufacturing policies.
• Integrate support functions to achieve plant and business objectives.
• Review and update GMP programs as needed.
• Communicate effectively, deliver impactful presentations, and influence others.

Benefits

• Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources.
• Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director