Operations Manager

Location: Cincinnati, OH (fully onsite role) Reports To: Plant Manger Company: Trillium Foods (DLT) Position Overview The Operations Manager is responsible for leading day‑to‑day manufacturing operations at the Cincinnati facility while partnering closely with the Plant Manager to drive safety, quality, service, operational execution, employee development, and continuous improvement. This role serves as a key leader within the facility, translating operational priorities into execution across production and cross‑functional teams. The Operations Manager provides direct leadership to Production Supervisors and frontline teams while collaborating closely with Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse, Planning, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Safety functions to achieve production goals and support Trillium Foods' growth strategy. This position is designed for a hands‑on leader who thrives in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment and enjoys building teams, improving processes, creating accountability, and developing future leaders. A strong presence on the production floor and commitment to employee engagement, food safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence are critical to success. Key Responsibilities Production & Operational Leadership Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, service, labor, productivity, and customer requirements. Directly supervise, coach, and develop Production Supervisors and provide leadership to hourly production teams. Monitor production performance, labor utilization, efficiencies, downtime, waste, and throughput. Conduct daily production meetings and ensure effective communication across shifts and departments. Support labor planning, staffing effectiveness, workforce deployment, and operational readiness. Partner with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, Planning, and Supply Chain teams to resolve operational challenges and drive execution. Utilize KPIs and operational data to monitor performance and drive action planning. Safety & Compliance Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and operational discipline throughout the facility. Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, FDA requirements, company policies, and plant safety programs. Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and promptly address safety concerns. Participate in incident investigations and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Support environmental, health, and safety initiatives while reinforcing safe work practices across all shifts. Quality & Food Safety Champion food safety and quality standards throughout manufacturing operations. Partner with Quality and SQF teams to maintain compliance with customer, regulatory, food safety, and company requirements. Ensure consistent adherence to GMPs, HACCP, SQF, sanitation requirements, and established operating procedures. Support successful customer, regulatory, and third‑party audits. Lead and support corrective actions related to food safety, quality issues, audit findings, and customer complaints. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, increase capacity, and enhance productivity. Drive problem‑solving, root cause analysis, and corrective action efforts for operational challenges. Support standard work, process discipline, and operational consistency across the facility. Lead continuous improvement initiatives and promote sustainable solutions versus short‑term fixes. Support capital projects, equipment installations, process optimization efforts, and growth initiatives. Leadership & Employee Development Coach, mentor, and develop Production Supervisors, frontline leaders, and hourly employees. Build a culture of engagement, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning. Foster a positive work environment aligned with Trillium Foods' CARES values. Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee development, succession planning, and talent retention efforts. Partner with Human Resources and plant leadership on workforce planning and employee relations matters. Cross‑Functional Collaboration Build strong working relationships across functions, departments, and shifts. Collaborate with Maintenance to maximize equipment reliability and minimize downtime. Partner with corporate and plant leadership teams to support business initiatives and operational standards. Communicate effectively with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization. Support implementation of company initiatives, best practices, capital projects, and operational improvement programs. Qualifications Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered. 5–8+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience. Experience directly supervising production supervisors and frontline manufacturing teams. Food, beverage, ingredients, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or related manufacturing experience required. Experience leading operations across multiple shifts preferred. Strong knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, SQF, OSHA, FDA regulations, and food safety systems. Demonstrated success driving operational performance, employee engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills with the ability to leverage data and KPIs for decision‑making. Advanced communication, coaching, and leadership capabilities. Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel. Success Profile The ideal candidate is: A hands‑on leader who leads by example and maintains a strong floor presence. Curious, improvement‑oriented, and committed to operational excellence. Able to balance accountability with employee development. Comfortable operating in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities. Collaborative and skilled at influencing across functions and levels. Passionate about food safety, quality, safety, and team development. Driven to build strong teams and develop future leaders. Physical Requirements Frequent walking and standing throughout a manufacturing facility. Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Ability to work in varying temperatures, noise levels, and food manufacturing conditions. Ability to routinely work on the production floor and interact with employees across all shifts. Trillium Foods provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. #J-18808-Ljbffr