Plant Operations Director #0912

Overview

We are supporting one of our clients, a long-established, privately owned food ingredient manufacturer with over 75 years of operational history in California’s Central Valley. The company produces and supplies premium specialty food ingredients to customers across the food, beverage, and foodservice sectors. With four production facilities in the region, the business also maintains several food safety certifications, including BRC, GFSI, USDA Organic, and Halal.

Following meaningful investment and the strengthening of its leadership team, the organization is moving into its next stage of strategic growth. This newly established Director of Operations position is a pivotal appointment, offering the opportunity to join the business at an important point in its development and help shape the operating framework required for future success.

The Director of Operations will be responsible for full end-to-end plant operations across all four facilities, with leadership oversight of a team of four to six direct reports. This is a senior, high-impact role suited to a hands-on operations leader with multi-site experience and a strong history of driving operational excellence within food manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and embed an operating structure from the ground up in this newly created role, working effectively within an established and experienced business.
• Take ownership of the Operations P&L, including budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, and cost-per-unit improvement.
• Lead end-to-end operations across multiple food manufacturing sites in a 24/7 environment, ensuring strong performance in throughput, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Establish and implement a performance management system, including KPIs, Balanced Scorecard, and data dashboards, to improve visibility and accountability across all sites.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement through Lean and Six Sigma practices, with clear and measurable ROI.
• Develop and lead the operational strategy for the division, ensuring activities are aligned with broader company objectives for growth and profitability.
• Ensure full adherence to safety, food safety, and environmental requirements while championing a strong safety-first culture.
• Lead, coach, and develop a direct leadership team of four to six, strengthening long-term organizational capability and succession planning.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Strong financial capability, including direct P&L ownership and experience with cost optimization.
• Willingness to be based in, or relocate to, the Central Valley, California region.
• 10+ years of senior leadership experience within food and beverage or food ingredient manufacturing.
• High integrity, a data-led approach, and the ability to deliver effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• Proven experience leading complex, multi-site plant operations.
• Strong understanding of food safety, health and safety, and environmental regulations within a manufacturing environment.
• Background in agricultural or agribusiness-related food manufacturing, with broad knowledge across plant management disciplines.
• Demonstrated success implementing operational excellence programs, such as Lean, Six Sigma, KPI frameworks, or Balanced Scorecard.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ERP platforms and operational data analytics tools.
• Background in citrus, juice processing, or specialty food ingredient manufacturing, including silo and plant operations knowledge.
• Familiarity with GFSI, BRC, USDA Organic, or similar certification environments.
• Degree in Food Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Benefits

Base Salary: $190,000 – $200,000 per annum

Bonus: Discretionary performance bonus based on company results

Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate

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