Senior Operations Manager

Groundworks Industries•Portland, OR

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Groundworks Services is home to a collection of brands that seek to provide knowledgeable and artful experiences that set new standards for the production, packaging, and distribution of high-quality consumer goods in a highly regulated manufacturing environment. We are looking for folks who are operationally driven, financially minded, and passionate about building efficient, scalable production systems that support a growing business. We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Senior Operations Manager to lead our workshop (kitchen), packaging, and beverage production departments. This role is focused on operational leadership, prioritization, and business performance, ensuring production runs efficiently, safely, and profitably across all assigned areas. This leader will be responsible for setting priorities, making operational decisions, allocating resources, and driving throughput and efficiency across departments. Experience in commercial food production, beverage manufacturing, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments is required. Strong knowledge of HACCP, CCP, GMP, sanitation systems, and food safety compliance is essential. Cannabis industry experience is helpful but not required.

Requirements

7+ years of leadership experience in commercial food production, beverage manufacturing, or regulated manufacturing operations
Strong working knowledge of HACCP, CCP, GMP, sanitation, and food safety systems
Proven experience managing multi-department production environments
Demonstrated ability to make operational decisions that impact cost, efficiency, and profitability
Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive accountability without direct hands-on execution
Experience improving production systems, workflows, and operational scalability
Strong communication and organizational skills in fast-paced environments
Experience in regulated manufacturing environments strongly preferred
Bachelor's degree in Operations, Food Science, Business, or related field preferred (or equivalent experience)
Must be at least 21 years of age
Valid driver's license and ability to travel between facilities if needed
Primary work location is Portland metro area with occasional local travel
Ability to obtain OLCC Marijuana Worker Permit
Ability to work in a manufacturing or production facility environment
Ability to sit, stand, and move between departments as needed
Ability to participate in in-person operational meetings and floor walkthroughs
Ability to remain focused in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions

Nice To Haves

Cannabis industry experience is helpful but not required

Responsibilities

Lead operational priorities across workshop (kitchen), packaging, and beverage production departments
Make daily and weekly decisions that optimize throughput, efficiency, and profitability
Ensure production scheduling aligns with demand, capacity, and business priorities
Partner with department leads to remove bottlenecks and improve cross-functional flow
Own operational performance across assigned areas, including output, cost control, and labor efficiency
Ensure compliance with HACCP, CCP, GMP, and all applicable food safety and sanitation standards
Maintain audit readiness and enforce consistent adherence to SOPs and quality systems
Oversee production consistency and product quality standards across all departments
Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and scalability
Support budgeting, forecasting, and cost management through operational insight
Coordinate with procurement, inventory, and leadership teams to ensure material availability and production continuity
Develop and mentor production supervisors and leads, driving accountability and performance expectations
Provide regular reporting on production performance, issues, and improvement initiatives to leadership
Build structure and clarity in decision-making across production operations