Plant Manager (Pet Food Ingredients)
About The Position
Farmers Union Industries, LLC, also known as FUI, is a leading agricultural-based manufacturing company headquartered in Redwood Falls, MN. Our current operations include Central Bi-Products, Northland Choice, Midwest Grease, Artex Manufacturing, Redwood Farms Meat Processors, and Performance Pet Products. Please visit our website at fuillc.com/ to learn more! Our Northland Choice facility in Waite Park, MN is one of three locations that manufactures frozen and fresh-chilled poultry protein-based pet food ingredients. Learn more about us here: Northland Choice - Farmers Union Industries Northland Choice is hiring for a Plant Manager at our Waite Park facility. This leadership role will report to our Director of Rendering Operations and own operations, quality, and employee development for this location. The ideal candidate would have at least 5 years of supervisory experience in pet food, meat processing, rendering, refrigerated ingredients, or another regulated food-manufacturing environment.
Requirements
- 5-7 years of manufacturing leadership experience, including supervision, and cross-functional plant teams.
- Experience in pet food, meat processing, rendering, refrigerated ingredients, or another regulated food-manufacturing environment.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, communication, and employee-development skills.
- Proficiency with manufacturing systems, production reporting, inventory systems, and standard business software.
- Ability to communicate professionally and strategically with managers, directors, or other stakeholders verbally or in writing
- Proficient with technology and the Microsoft Office Suite
- High level of organization, proficiency, accuracy, discretion, and confidentiality
- Strong sense of initiative and independent problem-solving with the ability to manage time and deadlines with little supervision
- Ability to attain and/or maintain a standard driver’s license
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s degree in operations management, business, or animal/food science; or equivalent relevant experience, preferred
Responsibilities
- Direct and oversee the daily operations of Northland Choice’s pet food ingredient plant (74); including receiving, grinding, blending, packaging, storage, inventory, shipping, sanitation, and maintenance initiatives
- Develop and implement strategies that align with company goals and growth initiatives
- Develop and manage operational budgets; identify ways to reduce costs and improve margins
- Own consistent product quality, throughput, yield, freshness, and on-time delivery, collaborating with internal FUI resources
- Establish production priorities and staffing plans based on customer orders, raw-material availability, product shelf life, equipment capacity, and delivery schedules
- Monitor operating performance and take corrective action when results fall below established targets
- Coordinate closely with procurement, sales, quality, transportation, and customer-service teams
- Promote a strong culture in which food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance are shared responsibilities
- Ensure compliance with FDA/USDA requirements and regulations
- Support accurate lot control, inventory identification, recordkeeping, and mock-recall exercise
- Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable environmental, waste-management, wastewater, and permitting requirements
- Manages sanitation programs for production equipment, storage areas, docks, drains, coolers and freezers and employee areas
- Ensure cleaning procedures, chemical areas, verification activities, and pre-operational inspections are properly completed and documented
- Equipment management, including preventive maintenance, equipment up time, root cause analysis
- Assist with recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees and developing personal growth opportunities
- Maintain safe and healthy work environment by enforcing safety and health policies and procedures
- Maintain regular and predictable on-site attendance
Benefits
- health, dental, vision, PTO, paid holidays, an impressive 401K match and more!
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
Associate degree
