Team Leader - Operations

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Leads teams to drive success in five key focus areas: Safety, Quality, Service, Performance, and People. Provides direction, goals, development, and feedback to direct reports, resulting in meeting daily production requirements, assignments, safety, equipment operation, and quality control components for the Blue Diamond production facilities. Plans, organizes, staffs; directs, and controls activities that impact operations. Provides mentoring to peers on activities supporting operations. Collaborates with the Department Manager on activities supporting sustainable operations goals and objectives for the site, leading continuous improvement initiatives, and supporting key objectives for the business.

Essential Job Functions

• Collaborates with Plant Operations Manager to establish, communicate, and execute measurable operations and people goals that deliver uncompromised safety, quality, service, and performance results.
• Sets clear expectations and targets, leading a high-performing team; implements systems that deliver repeatable and reliable results.
• Measures and reports targets which are delivered through the Team Leader leading their respective team(s); ensures proper execution on a day to day basis.
• Organizes team and processes to meet prescribed daily targets and production schedules.
• Coordinates proper staffing and training, leading team members, and establishing a culture of continuous improvement to maintain industry leadership.
• Trains team to anticipate problems before they arise and leads root cause analysis when needed.
• Coaches the production team towards common objectives.
• Participates in one on one coaching, team meetings and interacts on the floor in a positive and motivational manner.
• Applies recognition and disciplinary actions as needed.
• Develops team members for future growth and succession planning.
• Develops and implements production cost standards, customer quality standards, and safety compliance standards; removes roadblocks for their team to deliver against the standards.
• Acts as a resource for their team to ensure proper training and tools are in place to enable the team to deliver the standards.
• Stays abreast of cutting-edge technology through external trade shows and benchmarking of similar facilities, including professional seminars.
• Contributes to the development of effective employee training programs, including areas of GMP's and safety.
• Helps drive our "Zero Harm" safety systems and culture through training and communication.
• Conducts training and promotes continuous learning of staff resulting in a flexible and agile workforce.
• Assigns specific duties to personnel, conduct investigations or research, write technical, informative or operational reports, work on special projects, attend and conduct meetings as required.
• Reviews reports, papers, and other records prepared by personnel for clarity, completeness, accuracy and conformance with company policies; routes approved reports and records to appropriate personnel.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as required or assigned by the Operations Manager's upper management.
• This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university/college
• 3 years of experience leading and directing teams
• Must be a proactive team player.
• Will have continuous contact primarily with employees at entry levels of the organization as well as some external contacts.
• Must be able to function effectively as a leader or member in a team environment; able to translate concepts into concrete examples.
• Must be a self-starter; demonstrated ability to produce on schedule; act in a constructive manner; strongly motivated to improve self, production department.
• Demonstrated leadership ability through discovering and utilizing people's capabilities, recognizing good work and earning the respect of peers and subordinates.

Total minimum number of years of experience required in lieu of degree

• 7 years of experience leading and directing teams

Preferred Skills and Experiences

• Food manufacturing experience and Continuous Improvement (LEAN,TPM).
• Technical knowledge with food processing equipment, understanding of SPC and associated tools, knowledge, and application of SQF, quality standards, and associated requirements.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Greater than 15

Physical Demands

Must be able to physically move throughout the facility, including climbing multiple flights of stairs, ladders, elevated catwalks and tight access areas. Able to work at a desk for extended periods of time doing analytical work or preparing reports on a computer.

Work Environment

Must be able to work in a plant environment being exposed to dust, high noise levels, extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations, and wet operating work conditions. Typical conditions may include prolonged sitting, standing and walking. Must be able to work all shifts. Must be able to work any shift based on operational needs. On call 24 hours a day for emergency situations. Weekend work not uncommon. Ability to travel (15%)

Blue Diamond Growers is an Equal Opportunity and E-Verify Employer

EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability