Plant Director

Sara Lee Frozen Bakery,LLC•Traverse City, MI

20h•Onsite

About The Position

Sara Lee Frozen Bakery became a stand-alone company in 2018 when it was purchased by Kohlberg and Company (private equity) from Tyson Foods. Our desserts have always stood for incredible flavor and superior value in the frozen food aisle and away from home markets. The Sara Lee Frozen Bakery collection of top brands includes Sara Lee®, Chef Pierre®, Bistro Collection®, Superior on Main® and Cyrus O’Leary’s®. Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is proud to take these iconic brands into a new era and to continue the evolution that transformed one small Chicago bakery into an American institution. Using carefully sourced ingredients and time-honored recipes, the company is committed to making life’s moments a little sweeter, putting its customers first and discovering new ways to make everyone’s favorite foods even better. Our vision is to be the world’s most beloved bakery by creating irresistible foods, growing with our customers, and delivering value for all. We will achieve success through collaboration and innovation in an environment where employees feel empowered to execute with speed. We believe that each of us has unique points of difference and experience to offer. We believe that there is always a better way, and we will never be satisfied with status quo. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, continually seek process improvements and a strong sense of customer service, then this is the right type of environment for you.

Requirements

A Bachelor’ degree is required, preferably in Engineering or related technical discipline such as Food Science, Supply Chain, etc.
Minimum of 10-15 years of progressively responsible management experience, preferably in the food and beverage business.
Plant Manager experience in a private equity-backed environment, with leadership responsibility for 300+ associates.
Previous plant experience will include having worked with maintenance, FSQA, planning, engineering, CI/Lean, plant human resources, plant finance/accounting, etc.
Robust compliance experience in an environment regulated by the FDA or USDA.
Previous Labor Relations experience in a union environment is required.
Proven competencies in driving operational excellence, cost effective capital expenditures, productivity improvements across the organization with emphasis on automation yielding measurable financial, quality and cycle time improvements without compromising product quality or company growth.
Continuous Improvement experience to include system development and implementation in companies with mature systems; however, have an ability to translate the “playbook” into a middle market company, and “move the culture” rather than solely implementing the systems and process.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing, supply chain and operational metrics to effectively analyze productivity.
Exposure to the year-by-year nuances and complexities of a seasonal businesses.
Demonstrated track record of leading change, operating with discipline, and instilling a culture of accountability.
Independent thinking, strong organizational and planning abilities and excellent analytical and problem- solving skills are essential.
Strong track record of building a high performing team.
Track record of driving change and cultural transformation, managing people and leading teams, including articulating a vision and driving a team to achieve results.
Strong communication skills (exceptional listener, persuasive, and professional communicator).

Nice To Haves

An MBA or advanced degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

Establish and foster teamwork within the Bakery and with other functions by developing and communicating individual and team metrics; KPI’s/objectives that enroll the organization in achieving best in class results.
Establish systems and processes that enable sustainable performance across the Bakery.
Develop organizational and overall talent management capabilities by promoting a strong engagement and performance-oriented culture.
Lead the execution of a holistic manufacturing strategy including reliability, continuous improvement, and lean methodology.
Achieve sustainable and ongoing quantitative improvements in safety, quality, productivity, and material usage optimization.
Articulate and drive operating objectives (KPI's) for the plant and ensure the facility operates within budget.
Manage the plant P&L to achieve budget and deliver transformational results for the operation.
Plan, organize, and implement actions to meet customer requirements.
Responsible for the development of the annual site budget as well as identification of productivity projects.
Develop and lead plans and processes to minimize manufacturing costs through effective utilization of labor, equipment, facilities, materials, and capital.
Assure attainment of business objectives and production schedules while ensuring product standards that will exceed Sara Lee Frozen Bakery customers’ expectations.
Provide strategic and tactical leadership to all functional areas including safety, quality, associate relations, production, maintenance, and sustainability.
Lead the safety, health & sustainability by implementing and supporting a strong behavior-based safety observation system and thus reduce the TIR across bakery.