Senior Operations Manager

Boochcraft•Chula Vista, CA

11d•$125,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

Boochcraft is seeking a highly capable Senior Operations Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing operations across their brewery, warehouse, maintenance, and process functions. This is a key leadership role for someone who combines strong manufacturing fundamentals with a hands-on, continuous-improvement mindset. The position offers a meaningful opportunity to grow with the organization, with a preference for an experienced operations leader who can make an immediate impact at the Manager or Senior Manager level and demonstrate the capability to grow into a Director of Operations role as the business and scope of responsibility expand. Reporting to the CEO and working closely with Finance, Sales, R&D, Quality, and other members of the leadership team, the Senior Operations Manager will be responsible for the effective execution and continuous improvement of Boochcraft's manufacturing and operational activities. This role requires someone who is equally comfortable managing people on the production floor, executing against established company and departmental goals, analyzing operational and financial performance, and identifying opportunities to strengthen processes and develop meaningful KPIs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business Management, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant experience will also be considered.
Approximately 7+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations experience, including meaningful experience leading teams and production operations.
Experience in food & beverage, CPG, brewing, or another regulated manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, establish accountability, manage competing priorities, and consistently execute against operational objectives.
Experience applying Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, or other continuous-improvement methodologies is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with HACCP, food safety, quality systems, GMPs, or similar regulated manufacturing requirements is preferred.
Brewing or fermentation experience is a plus.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and the ability to effectively use ERP, production planning, inventory, maintenance, and/or project-management systems.
Must possess and maintain a valid U.S. driver's license and remain eligible to drive for company business.
Ability to safely perform work in a manufacturing and brewery environment, including the ability to lift up to 50 pounds when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Candidates who have demonstrated increasing responsibility and are ready to take ownership of a broader operation, even if they have not previously held a Director title.
Be a hands-on operations leader who is comfortable spending time on the production floor and understanding problems firsthand.
Understand both the operational and financial drivers of manufacturing performance.
Have a demonstrated track record of improving productivity, quality, cost, or manufacturing capacity.
Be able to execute against established goals while also identifying where new metrics, processes, or objectives are needed to improve the operation.
Use data and KPIs to identify problems, establish accountability, and drive decisions.
Think beyond today's production schedule and anticipate the people, equipment, processes, and systems the business will need as it grows.
Build strong, trusted relationships across Operations, Finance, Sales, Quality, and R&D.
Be self-motivated, accountable, organized, and performance-driven.
Communicate clearly and effectively at all levels of the organization.
Balance urgency and execution with thoughtful problem-solving.
Have the capability and ambition to grow into broader operational leadership responsibilities over time.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day brewery, production, warehouse, maintenance, and related operational activities.
Ensure production schedules are effectively planned and executed to meet customer demand.
Ensure sales orders are produced and shipped on time and in full (OTIF).
Promote a strong culture of workplace safety, accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
Communicate and consistently enforce company policies, procedures, and production standards.
Ensure equipment and facilities are properly maintained and available to support production requirements.
Troubleshoot production and process issues, identify root causes, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Ensure production personnel are appropriately trained on SOPs, equipment, safety requirements, quality standards, and production best practices.
Identify and implement opportunities to improve throughput, labor efficiency, yield, quality, and overall manufacturing performance.
Build operational capacity and capabilities to support the company's growth while maintaining appropriate cost and quality controls.
Evaluate existing production processes and recommend improvements in equipment, workflow, automation, staffing, and systems.
Develop and implement continuous-improvement initiatives focused on reducing waste, improving efficiency, and lowering COGS.
Establish appropriate operating standards and use data to measure actual performance against those standards.
Audit production SOPs and identify opportunities to improve processes, documentation, and execution.
Assess short- and long-term equipment and capacity requirements and develop recommendations for maintenance, replacement, and capital investment.
Partner with R&D and Quality on new product development, process changes, commercialization, and implementation.
Drive execution against established company and departmental goals and KPIs, ensuring priorities translate into measurable operational results.
Evaluate current operational performance and identify areas of opportunity where additional or improved KPIs, targets, processes, or reporting would strengthen accountability and performance.
Develop and refine meaningful operational KPIs as needed, including measures related to productivity, labor efficiency, yield, waste, downtime, quality, capacity utilization, COGS, and OTIF performance.
Regularly monitor results against established KPIs and goals, identify performance gaps, determine root causes, and lead corrective actions.
Partner with the CFO and Finance team to understand and manage the financial performance of the Operations department.
Identify and execute opportunities to reduce COGS while maintaining product quality and operational reliability.
Develop annual operating and capital budgets and manage departmental spending within approved plans.
Develop forecasts for operational expenses, capital requirements, staffing, and production capacity.
Analyze production results and clearly communicate performance, trends, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions to management.
Support the development of annual and quarterly Operations goals aligned with broader company objectives and take ownership of their execution within the department.
Determine appropriate staffing levels based on production requirements, productivity targets, and COGS objectives.
Recruit, train, develop, and retain a high-performing Operations team.
Establish clear performance expectations and hold team members accountable for results.
Coach and develop employees through regular feedback, training, and individual development plans.
Build a culture of collaboration, problem-solving, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Establish short- and long-term objectives for the Operations team and ensure employees understand how their work contributes to company goals.
Support a workplace culture focused on employee engagement, safety, accountability, and well-being.