Director Of Operations Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business Management, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent education and experience.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in food or beverage manufacturing operations; experience at plant management or large-scale operations level is preferred.
• At least 5 years of food or beverage manufacturing experience, including 3 or more years of production supervision in a multi-shift environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple production departments, supervisors, and hourly employees in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of HACCP, Juice HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, and applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting GFSI-recognized audit programs, including SQF or BRCGS.
• Solid understanding of OSHA safety practices, including LOTO, machine guarding, PPE, and powered industrial truck safety.
• Hands-on understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and operational systems.
• Demonstrated success using data-driven decisions to improve safety, quality, productivity, yield, cost, and overall plant performance.
• Experience with production scheduling, MRP, ERP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems.
• Experience managing departmental budgets, labor costs, operating expenses, and vendors providing supplies and services.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, supervisory, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop and deliver effective training programs in individual and group settings.
• Ability to operate effectively in a changing or less-structured environment while establishing processes and systems that improve operational consistency.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including preparing reports, procedures, and business correspondence and presenting information to employees, managers, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English.
• Ability to work flexible hours as operational needs require, including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call coverage.
• Ability to work with percentages, ratios, proportions, production yields, costs, volumes, and other operational calculations; apply basic algebra, geometry, and quantitative analysis.
• Ability to solve practical problems, investigate root causes, make sound decisions, and translate instructions into actionable operating plans.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in juice, citrus, dairy, or other fresh, short-shelf-life beverage manufacturing.
• Advanced knowledge of juice processing, citrus or fresh produce handling, extraction, and cold-chain management.
• Hands-on experience with HPP, pasteurization, high-speed filling and packaging lines, and related processing technologies.
• HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement training.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), or similar operational excellence programs.
• Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification or related supply chain credentials.
• Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills; Spanish proficiency is preferred.
• A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Management/Administration, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related discipline, combined with at least 10 years of progressively responsible food or beverage manufacturing experience; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business publications, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily production activities across shifts to meet production schedules, volume, yield, quality, and customer delivery targets.
• Oversee production planning, scheduling, workflow, processing methods, packaging, shipping, and workforce utilization.
• Coordinate fruit receiving, extraction, pasteurization or high-pressure processing, filling, packaging, and cold storage.
• Lead shift-startup meetings and daily accountability huddles; review performance, address production misses, and follow up on corrective actions.
• Manage changeovers, line balancing, staffing, and labor deployment to reduce downtime, improve throughput, and control overtime.
• Adjust schedules and priorities in response to demand, equipment availability, labor constraints, and raw material requirements.
• Ensure products are manufactured and packaged on time and according to quality, food safety, and customer specifications.
• Establish communication and accountability across departments and shifts; promote ownership and operational excellence.
• Serve as Plant Manager in their absence, with full decision-making authority for plant operations.
• Ensure shift compliance with Juice HACCP, food safety plans, GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulations and certifications.
• Partner with Quality Assurance on product holds, process deviations, CCP monitoring, investigations, CAPA, verification activities, food safety systems, and audits.
• Maintain readiness for regulatory, customer, organic, and GFSI-recognized certification audits, including SQF or BRCGS, as applicable.
• Investigate recurring quality issues and implement preventive measures to reduce defects, waste, and customer complaints.
• Lead a proactive safety culture through safety talks, floor observations, audits, hazard correction, training, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
• Enforce safety practices including LOTO, PPE, machine guarding, and forklift and powered industrial truck safety; ensure environmental compliance.
• Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors and Shift Leads; oversee staffing and performance across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging.
• Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, evaluations, recognition, and employee development; partner with HR on attendance, performance management, employee relations, and policies.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, cross-training, shift coverage, training records, and trainer qualifications; resolve employee concerns and operational conflicts.
• Partner with Maintenance leadership on repairs, equipment reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance, and coordination of maintenance with production schedules.
• Reduce unplanned downtime through equipment analysis, root-cause investigations, and corrective actions; improve reliability, availability, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Lead Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives, including 5S, SMED, standard work, waste reduction, and root-cause problem-solving.
• Establish, monitor, and report KPIs such as OEE, production volume, schedule attainment, yield, labor efficiency, overtime, waste, downtime, safety, quality, and customer delivery.
• Use production data and trend analysis to identify performance gaps, lead reviews, establish measurable action plans, and standardize improvements across departments and shifts.
• Assist in developing and managing the plant operating budget; control labor, overtime, supplies, waste, material usage, and other expenses.
• Identify productivity and cost-reduction opportunities and participate in capital planning and equipment improvement initiatives.
• Ensure timely, accurate reporting through ERP, MRP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems; monitor inventory accuracy and production variances.
• Support purchasing and vendor management for plant supplies, equipment, and services; present operational performance, financial results, risks, and improvement opportunities to senior leadership.
• Direct and evaluate subordinate supervisors and departments, including assigning work, evaluating performance, administering discipline, addressing complaints, and ensuring adherence to company standards and applicable laws.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k) plan