Operations Manager - Food Manufacturing

通用磨坊股份有限公司•Joplin, MO

6d•$95,300 - $143,200•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Manager owns production operations at the Pet Treating facility in Joplin, Missouri. Reporting to the Plant Manager, you’ll lead three supervisors and their hourly teams to deliver safe, high-quality products on time and within budget. This role combines people leadership, production execution, food safety and quality, financial management, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement. You’ll develop frontline leaders, set clear performance expectations, use data to prioritize action, and lead improvements that strengthen safety, service, productivity, and cost performance.

Requirements

5+ years of progressively responsible manufacturing experience, including experience in the food industry.
1+ year of experience directly managing salaried employees.
Experience leading production or operations teams with responsibility for safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost.
Experience leading or facilitating Kaizen events or other hands-on continuous improvement work.
Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and their application in a production environment.
Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to develop teams, set expectations, and hold people accountable without damaging trust.
Experience managing operating expenses, developing budgets, and reviewing performance against plan.
Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
Ability to analyze operational data and prepare reports for reviews and issue tracking.
Ability to work in hot, cold, or wet conditions, including temperatures below 50°F or above 90°F for periods of up to three hours.
Ability to follow safety and PPE requirements when working with harsh cleaning chemicals.
Ability to occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds and work at elevation, including on a ladder, lift box, or scissor lift.
Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations, manufacturing, or a related field is preferred.
Food manufacturing leadership experience in a regulated production environment.
Experience managing multiple people leaders and hourly teams.
Hands-on Autonomous Maintenance experience, including restoring equipment to basic condition and establishing operator-owned routines.
Experience with Redzone or a similar digital production or loss-management system.
Formal training in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, Kaizen, or Total Productive Maintenance.
Practical use of spaghetti diagrams, SMED, 5G/5S, standard work, loss analysis, and visual management.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt training paired with practical application.
Training Within Industry (TWI) experience, especially in standardized work, employee training, and change management.
Experience analyzing capacity, equipment losses, yields, waste, labor, and other operating constraints.
Experience reviewing or creating bills of material.
Experience partnering with Engineering on productivity improvements and capital expenditure opportunities.

Responsibilities

Lead daily production through three supervisor direct reports and their hourly teams.
Set priorities, coach leaders, document performance, and hold employees accountable while maintaining trust.
Build team capability through onboarding, job-transfer training, corrective and preventive actions, and ongoing development.
Plan production to meet volume, efficiency, service, safety, quality, and cost objectives.
Review daily, weekly, and monthly KPIs; identify trends; and convert findings into focused improvement plans.
Lead practical lean initiatives, including Kaizen events, loss analysis, spaghetti diagrams, SMED, standard work, and visual management.
Establish and sustain Operations-owned Autonomous Maintenance routines, including basic-condition restoration, cleaning, tightening, lubrication checks, and early identification of equipment abnormalities.
Partner with Maintenance on equipment conditions and significant breakdowns while maintaining clear ownership of routine operator care.
Use Redzone or a similar system to identify top losses, track actions, and improve equipment performance.
Partner with Engineering to identify productivity opportunities, capacity constraints, and potential capital investments.
Conduct or support facility capacity analysis and use the results to guide production planning and improvement priorities.
Review existing bills of material for accuracy and partner with Finance on BOMs for new products after production trials.
Analyze yield, waste, labor, downtime, and other cost drivers; then implement plans to improve performance.
Own the department’s operating expenses, support annual budget planning, monitor results, and partner with Accounting on reviews.
Partner with Quality to maintain product quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance, including FDA, FSIS, SQF, USDA, and GMP requirements.
Champion a strong safety, food-safety, and quality culture through training, communication, audit follow-up, and procedural updates.
Prepare operational reports, track issues and actions, and collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Finance, and other support teams.
Cross-train to provide manufacturing continuity and assume applicable Quality Assurance responsibilities when needed.
Complete other assigned projects and responsibilities.