Plant Manager - Minnesota

E.A. Sween•Eden Prairie, MN

3d•$112,800 - $180,457•Hybrid

About The Position

E.A. Sween is seeking a results-oriented, people-focused leader to serve as Plant Manager, reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, MN. This role is responsible for building high-performing teams and driving operational excellence in a multi-site, multi-shift manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong leadership capabilities, business acumen, and a commitment to continuous improvement while maintaining the highest standards of safety, food safety, quality, employee engagement, and customer service. This leader inspires trust, communicates effectively, develops talent, embraces change, and collaborates cross-functionally to achieve organizational objectives. The successful candidate will provide leadership across multiple shifts and facilities while driving alignment, accountability, and operational performance.

Requirements

Knowledge of electric and manual pallet jacks and forklifts
Experience with ERP and manufacturing execution systems
Productivity and compliance software experience
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, food science, or related field.
8–10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
5+ years leading managers and supervisors in a food manufacturing environment.
Experience leading multi-shift and multi-site operations.
Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, service, cost, and people performance.
Strong financial, leadership, communication, and employee relations skills.

Nice To Haves

JD Edwards (preferred).
HACCP, PCQI, Lean Six Sigma, or related certifications.
SQF/GFSI audit experience.
Advanced safety training.
Experience in refrigerated food manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

Health & Safety: Champion a culture of safety and regulatory compliance across all facilities and shifts. Partner with the onsite EHS Manager to implement and continuously improve environmental, health, and safety programs. Lead incident investigations and ensure effective corrective actions are implemented. Monitor safety performance and drive accountability for achieving safety objectives. Lead emergency response and business continuity efforts as needed.
Food Safety & Quality: Ensure compliance with all food safety, quality, regulatory, and company requirements. Partner with Quality Assurance and R&D to maintain product specifications, process controls, and quality standards. Lead corrective actions resulting from audits, customer complaints, and non-conforming products. Support customer, regulatory, and third-party audits. Foster a culture of food safety ownership throughout the operation.
Operations Leadership: Lead production, warehouse, shipping, and receiving operations across assigned facilities. Ensure safe, efficient, and timely execution of production and customer service requirements. Drive operational excellence through labor optimization, waste reduction, inventory accuracy, and process standardization. Collaborate with Supply Chain and Logistics teams to align operational capabilities with customer demand. Ensure consistent execution of standards and best practices across all shifts and sites. Monitor operational performance and implement actions to achieve safety, quality, service, and cost objectives.
Financial Performance: Develop and execute annual operating plans and budgets. Drive improvements in productivity, yield, inventory performance, and operating costs. Monitor key performance indicators and implement actions to improve business results. Support capital planning and execution of strategic projects. Lead regular reviews of operational scorecards, KPIs, and business metrics to assess performance, identify trends, prioritize improvement opportunities, and ensure timely execution of corrective action plans.
Maintenance & Asset Reliability: Partner with the Sr. Maintenance Manager to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of facility assets. Support preventative, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs. Prioritize equipment and facility improvements based on business, safety, and food safety needs. Support asset reliability, equipment uptime, and capital improvement initiatives.
Leadership & Talent Development: Build, develop, and retain a high-performing leadership team. Lead succession planning and workforce development initiatives. Establish accountability and performance expectations throughout the organization. Coach and develop managers, supervisors, and emerging leaders. Foster a culture of engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Continuous Improvement: Champion a culture of continuous improvement across all facilities and shifts. Partner with Continuous Improvement leadership to identify and execute operational improvement initiatives. Support Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence programs. Promote data-driven decision making, structured problem solving, and standardization.
New Product Commercialization & R&D Collaboration: Collaborate with R&D and cross-functional teams to successfully commercialize new and revised products. Support plant trials, process validation, and manufacturing readiness activities. Provide operational expertise to improve manufacturability, efficiency, quality, and cost. Partner on initiatives that support cost optimization, supply continuity, and process improvement.