Plant Manager

Palmer Candy Company • Sioux City, IA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and continuous improvement of a food manufacturing facility. As a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, this role provides strategic and operational direction across production, maintenance, sanitation, warehouse, and Team Member engagement functions. The Plant Manager drives a culture centered on safety, quality, operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement while ensuring the facility consistently meets customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and financial objectives. The successful candidate will be a visible leader who inspires teams, develops talent, and fosters a high-performance culture focused on achieving world-class manufacturing results.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business, or a related technical field required.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a plant leadership role.
• Food manufacturing experience required; confectionery, candy, chocolate, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience preferred.
• Proven success leading safety, quality, operational excellence, and Team Member engagement initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, capital projects, and continuous improvement programs.
• Strong knowledge of food manufacturing operations, food safety systems, quality management systems, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, OEE, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to manage budgets and analyze operational performance.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, coaching, and team-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead teams at all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience leading diverse and multicultural teams.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications required.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred
• confectionery, candy, chocolate, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience preferred
• Experience with ERP and manufacturing systems such as SAP and Redzone preferred.

Responsibilities

• Champion a safety-first culture and lead initiatives that drive a zero-incident workplace.
• Ensure compliance with all environmental, health, and safety (EHS) regulations, company policies, and industry standards.
• Ensure all manufacturing activities are conducted in accordance with established food safety, quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Ensure facility readiness for internal, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Direct all plant operations to achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, food safety, productivity, customer service, cost, delivery, and Team Member engagement.
• Ensure production schedules are executed efficiently while meeting customer requirements and quality standards.
• Drive operational excellence through effective management of labor, materials, equipment, and facility resources.
• Monitor and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, yield, downtime, and asset reliability.
• Lead plant maintenance team to ensure effective preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Lead and promote a culture of continuous improvement utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, and other operational excellence methodologies.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance productivity, reduce waste, improve quality, and lower operating costs.
• Establish accountability measures and performance expectations across all departments.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to identify opportunities and implement sustainable solutions.
• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce through effective hiring, coaching, training, succession planning, and performance management.
• Foster a culture of engagement, accountability, teamwork, and inclusion.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor, building relationships and driving Team Member involvement.
• Provide leadership and development opportunities for supervisors, managers, and frontline Team Members.
• Support workforce planning and organizational development initiatives that align with business objectives.
• Aid with development and management of annual operating budgets, forecasts, and capital expenditure plans.
• Monitor plant financial performance and implement actions to achieve productivity, cost reduction, and profitability targets.
• Lead initiatives to reduce scrap, waste, rework, and other operational losses.
• Participate in strategic planning and contribute to long-term operational and business growth initiatives.
• Ensure resources are effectively allocated to support production demands and business objectives.
• Partner with Research & Development, Quality, and Resource Planning teams to support new product introductions and process development.
• Lead capital projects from planning through implementation, ensuring projects are completed safely, on time, and within budget.
• Provide timely reporting and communication regarding plant performance, operational challenges, and improvement initiatives.
• Support company-wide initiatives and collaborate across multiple facilities as needed.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Travel between local manufacturing and storage facilities as required.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

What This Job Offers

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