Director of Operations

Creations Foods is looking for a Director of Operations to lead the plant operating system at our Ferndale, WA facility. This is a hands‑on leadership role with direct, full ownership of four core functions: Production, Maintenance, Warehouse & Logistics, and Purchasing. Reporting to the President, you'll lead through capable functional managers to build disciplined operating routines, drive measurable performance improvement, and protect food safety, quality, and customer commitments across a growing, multi‑line food manufacturing business. This role integrates the work of the Production, Maintenance, and Warehouse Managers rather than replacing their day‑to‑day ownership — setting priorities and standards, developing leaders, removing cross‑functional barriers, and holding the operating organization accountable for results across shifts and departments. As a growing, small company, we need someone who works boots‑on‑the‑ground, committed to spending real time on the floor, actively coaching managers, and stepping in hands‑on wherever the business needs it. Expect this role to wear a lot of hats. What You'll Do Lead, coach, and hold accountable the Production, Maintenance, and Warehouse Managers through clear expectations, scorecards, and consistent follow-up. Establish a disciplined daily, weekly, and monthly operating cadence — tiered meetings, visual management, and KPI review — so problems have an owner, a due date, and verified resolution. Partner with functional managers to build standardized operating systems (SOPs, work instructions, training controls, shift handoffs) that reduce reliance on tribal knowledge. Oversee production planning and scheduling, lead the sales & operations planning process, and drive schedule attainment and on‑time, in‑full performance. Improve throughput, changeovers, sanitation efficiency, and startup performance without compromising food safety, allergen, or quality requirements. Lead a prioritized continuous‑improvement pipeline using structured root‑cause analysis and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), yield, waste, and downtime data. Hold the Maintenance Manager accountable for preventive/predictive maintenance and reliability and develop a multi‑year capital and reliability roadmap. Hold the Warehouse Manager accountable for inventory accuracy, traceability, material staging, shipment reliability, and freight/OTIF performance. Own Purchasing end‑to‑end for the business — buying processes, approval limits and purchase‑order controls, supplier scorecards, pricing and payment‑terms negotiation, minimum order quantities, lead times, and supply continuity — in partnership with R&D and Quality on ingredient and packaging qualification. Track material availability, purchase‑price variance, inventory turns, and supplier performance, and elevate shortages or working‑capital risks before they disrupt production or customers. Partner with the Quality Assurance Director to embed SQF, FDA cGMPs, FSMA preventive controls, and allergen/traceability requirements into daily operations, and own timely closure of corrective actions and audit findings. Support a proactive safety culture and Quality's authority to stop or hold production when requirements aren't met. Partner with R&D, Quality, Sales, and Finance on new product and customer launch readiness, from plant trial through post‑launch stabilization. Manage operating, maintenance, warehouse, and purchasing budgets, and lead the consolidation roadmap for Baking and Moon Cheese operations. What We’re Looking For 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience in food, snacks, bakery, or CPG, including 5+ years leading managers across multiple plant functions. Demonstrated success improving safety, schedule attainment, throughput, yield, waste, labor efficiency, and cost in a multi‑line manufacturing environment. Experience building operating systems, management cadences, KPI scorecards, and accountability routines in a fast‑scaling organization. Strong production‑planning, inventory, warehouse, and supplier‑management capability, with working knowledge of ERP/MRP, WMS, and maintenance‑management systems. Hands‑on purchasing/procurement experience — sourcing, supplier negotiation, PO controls, and managing purchasing against demand and cash requirements — sufficient to own the function directly, not oversee it. Working knowledge of SQF or another GFSI‑recognized scheme, FDA current good manufacturing practices, applicable FSMA preventive‑controls requirements, allergen/gluten‑free/traceability controls, and OSHA requirements. Experience leading capital projects, equipment commissioning, and facility or line consolidation while protecting customer service and food‑safety requirements. Financial acumen to manage budgets, understand product and conversion costs, evaluate ROI, and control working capital. Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Food Science, Business, or a related field — or equivalent technical education and demonstrated industry experience. Direct, respectful, and credible leadership, with strong follow‑through, practical problem‑solving, and a willingness to work on the floor when needed. Comfort operating as a hands‑on, boots‑on‑the‑ground leader in a small, fast‑growing company where the role spans well beyond a single function — from plant floor execution to purchasing to capital planning — and where priorities can shift quickly. Familiarity with EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) or a similar operating framework is a plus. Preferred Private‑label/co‑manufacturing, club, and national‑retail customer experience. Lean or Six Sigma training. Experience leading a successful plant consolidation. Pay range $130K to $150K Health, dental, and vision insurance Paid time off and holidays 401(k) with company match Location: Ferndale, Washington (on‑site). #J-18808-Ljbffr