Operations Lead

Operations Lead

New Hartford, IA (

Description

About the Role

The Operations Lead is responsible for overseeing the management and optimization of operational processes and projects, ensuring alignment between daily operations and long-term strategic objectives. This leadership role includes supervising activities, resolving operational challenges, driving efficiency improvements, and ensuring grain operations and quality are maintained at the highest standards. The Operations Lead will mentor and guide team members while collaborating with organizational leaders to achieve growth and operational excellence.

What will you do?

• Supervise and support location personnel in logistics, inventory management, blending, and housekeeping operations.

• Ensure the timely staging, blending, and loading of trains while maintaining efficiency and quality standards.

• Provide training and mentorship to team members, ensuring safe and effective elevator operations.

• Identify, prioritize, and resolve maintenance issues within grain and agronomy assets.

• Oversee and validate grain and agronomy inventory accuracy and quality across assigned locations.

• Educate personnel on proper grain management techniques, including preventing over-drying and addressing off-grade or mixed grain issues.

• Lead and contribute to the planning and execution of annual and multi-year facility expansion and optimization projects.

• Ensure all safety and compliance procedures are followed, serving as a safety champion across locations.

• Develop and manage capital project budgets for multiple locations, prioritizing investments based on operational needs.

• Collaborate with organizational leaders to optimize grain operations and align strategies with business goals.

• Drive strategic growth through planning, analysis, and collaboration, contributing to the organization’s long-term vision.

• Oversee efforts to maintain and grow agronomy and feed sales, grain origination, and marketing with existing and new customers.

• Uphold and enforce company policies and procedures related to human resources, grain, agronomy, and feed operations.

Requirements

• Strong experience leading grain and agronomy operations across one or more locations

• Proven ability to supervise, coach, and develop operational teams

• Advanced knowledge of inventory management, grain quality, blending, and logistics

• Experience overseeing train staging/loading and facility operations

• Ability to identify, prioritize, and resolve maintenance and operational issues

• Demonstrated commitment to safety leadership and regulatory compliance

• Experience planning and supporting capital projects and facility improvements

• Strong collaboration and communication skills to align operations with business goals

• Customer- and growth-focused mindset with ability to support sales and origination efforts

Licenses:Must have a Class A CDL with applicable endorsements or be able to obtain one, if applicable to the location. This position requires the safe operation of a motor vehicle to perform the essential functions of the job. The employee must meet the qualifications set forth in the company’s vehicle safety policy. Failure to meet these qualifications could result in removal from this position.

Physical Demands:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.