Director of Operations

Description

• Own plan attainment, throughput, yield, quality, and cost across all manufacturing lines
• Dual reporting relationship with COO and President, with a seat on the Senior Leadership Team
• Build and mentor a bench of plant supervisors while putting succession plans in place
• Drive continuous improvement (lean/Six Sigma) and own the operations budget
• Contribute to and propose capital projects, assess equipment reliability, and understand and track capacity planning
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, and OSHA standards

• Bachelor's degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field
• 8+ years of progressive operations leadership in manufacturing
• Food, beverage, or CPG experience strongly preferred; distribution/logistics a plus
• Track record leading operations for a mid-market company through growth

Key Responsibilities

• With a dual reporting relationship to the COO and the President, serve as a core member of the company leadership team, contributing to overall business strategy, annual planning, and capital investment decisions.
• Develop and execute the operational strategy for manufacturing and distribution in alignment with company growth targets.
• Build, mentor, and lead a team of plant supervisors and ensure succession plans are in place at all critical points within the team structure to support professional growth and development for members of the manufacturing team.
• Establish a strong performance culture with clear accountability, KPIs, and regular operational reviews.

• Own plan attainment, throughput, yield, and quality across all manufacturing lines to meet customer demand and cost targets.
• Drive continuous improvement using lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to reduce waste, downtime, and cost per unit.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, OSHA, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Oversee capital projects, equipment reliability, and facility capacity planning to support business growth.
• Maintain core manning with built-in flexibility to support seasonal changes within the business; ensure efficient use of labor to support P&L.

• Own the operations budget, including labor, materials, and overhead; identify and deliver cost-savings initiatives that support the bottom line or improve capacity or capability.
• Report operational performance, risks, and opportunities to the President and leadership team on a regular cadence.
• Use data and KPI dashboards to drive decision-making within the manufacturing operation and to inform capital investments.

• This role has a dual reporting relationship direct to the COO, with a dotted line to the President and will have a seat on the company’s Senior Leadership Team. The Director of Operations carries P&L accountability for the manufacturing operation and is expected to exercise independent judgment, lead with data, and proactively surface both opportunities and risks to executive leadership peer group
• Success in this role is defined not only by operational performance but by the strength of the team, the trust built with leadership peers, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to company-wide strategy.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Hands-on operational leader equally comfortable on the plant floor and in executive strategy discussions.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget ownership and P&L accountability for operations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement and build a culture of accountability and performance.
• Effective cross-functional collaborator with sales, marketing, R&D, supply chain, finance, IT, and HR.
• Clear, data-driven communicator who surfaces issues proactively and presents solutions alongside problems.
• People leader who develops high-performing teams and builds succession from within.
• Strategic judgment to balance short-term operational demands with long-term business investments.

Benefits

• Affordable healthcare (medical/dental/vision)
• Opportunity to participate in the Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short Term Disability Insurance paid by the company
• Basic life Insurance equals to your annual salary paid by the company
• Employee Assistance Program – paid by the company
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• The opportunity to purchase additional voluntary insurance coverage for:
• Life Insurance
• Accident
• Whole Life
• Prepaid Legal
• PTO 
• 9 Paid Holidays per year
• 401-k Plan (eligible after 6 months of employment)