Director OF Operations

Job Description

The Senior Director, Plant Operations is the senior site leader responsible for the overall performance, safety, Grandma Quality, controls, culture, and financial results of the manufacturing facility. This role serves as the plant’s general manager, accountable for translating enterprise strategy into consistent, disciplined execution with excellence at the site level. The Senior Director leads through people, systems, and standards, ensuring production, FSQA, maintenance, warehousing, and workforce leadership operate in alignment with Grandma Quality. This role balances results with responsibility, honoring Mama’s heritage while building scalable, sustainable operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end plant performance, including safety, food safety, quality, service, cost, labor efficiency, and employee engagement.
• Own overall plant efficiency and throughput performance, ensuring production capacity, labor models, and operating practices support enterprise targets.
• Drive improvement in throughput, yield, and line performance by setting expectations, removing barriers, and holding leaders accountable for results.
• Serve as the strategic leader for the site, translating enterprise priorities into clear site-level strategies, initiatives, and execution plans.
• Partner with the Senior Manager, Production Operations to ensure production schedules and execution plans support optimal efficiency and service outcomes.
• Own the plant operating budget, including labor, overtime, supplies, and controllable costs; ensure performance aligns with financial targets.
• Balance cost discipline with Mama’s commitment to Grandma Quality, safety, and employee well-being.
• Use KPIs and financial data to evaluate performance, prioritize investments, and guide decision-making.
• Partner with OpEx/CI to identify and sponsor continuous improvement initiatives that deliver measurable, sustainable gains in efficiency, throughput, and cost performance.
• Ensure efficiency gains and cost improvements are sustainable and embedded into standard work and leadership routines.
• Lead, coach, and hold accountable all direct reports, site functional leaders, and the downline.
• Serve as the primary owner of plant culture, reinforcing values-based leadership, respectful supervision, and consistent accountability.
• Ensure site execution aligns with enterprise standards of excellence and Grandma Quality while addressing location-specific risks and opportunities.
• Partner with FSQA leadership to maintain strong food safety culture, regulatory compliance, and audit readiness.
• Own site-level labor strategy, workforce planning, and performance management in partnership with People Operations.
• Drive operational discipline through KPIs, operating practices, and structured problem-solving.
• Partner with Reliability & Asset Management to support uptime, preventive maintenance execution, and capital improvements.
• Support capital projects, expansions, and equipment installations at the site level.
• Participate in operational diligence and integration activities related to acquisitions or expansions impacting the facility.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for site risks, performance gaps, and employee relations matters.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships that nurture trust, accountability, and pride in workmanship.
• Collaborate closely with Senior Directors and plant leaders at other facilities to share best practices, standardize where appropriate, and drive enterprise-wide operational improvement.
• Participate in cross-facility working groups, initiatives, and problem-solving efforts to strengthen consistency, performance, and scalability across the enterprise.
• Champion collaboration between facilities while respecting site-specific strengths, constraints, and heritage.
• Other related tasks, as necessary to drive results and support the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing operations, preferably in food manufacturing or regulated environments.
• 5+ years of experience leading multi-shift operations and managing leaders (managers/supervisors).
• Demonstrated experience owning site KPIs, budgets, labor planning, and operational performance improvement.
• Expert usage of ERP systems. NetSuite preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of food safety/regulatory environments (USDA/FDA), GMPs, and audit readiness expectations.
• Proven ability to lead through change while maintaining operational stability and culture.
• Strong communication, planning, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Lean/Six Sigma knowledge/certification, preferred.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) highly preferred.

Essential Physical Requirements

• Ability to regularly walk, stand, and move throughout the manufacturing facility.
• Ability to navigate stairs, catwalks, and uneven surfaces safely.
• Ability to visually and audibly observe operations and employee practices.
• Ability to wear required PPE (hair/beard nets, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection).
• Ability to work in varying environmental conditions (heat, cold, noise, humidity).
• Ability to sit for extended periods while performing administrative work.
• Ability to travel locally as required.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.