Senior Plant Manager (Fargo)

Red River Commodities is a leading processor of sunflower seeds and specialty grains, specializing in high-quality, nutritious food products. We pride ourselves on our sustainable practices, innovation, and commitment to delivering superior products to our customers. Our team shares core values focused on quality, innovation, responsibility, and community. We work hard, play harder, embrace authenticity, and always support one another to achieve our goals.

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Senior Plant Manager to lead and oversee all operations across our wild bird seed manufacturing facilities in Fargo, ND and Lubbock, TX. This role is based in Fargo, ND and requires 25%–35% travel to Lubbock, TX to ensure alignment, consistency, and operational excellence across both locations.

The Senior Plant Manager will be responsible for driving performance in a high-performance, KPI-driven manufacturing environment, with full oversight of production, maintenance, warehousing, quality assurance, continuous improvement, labor management, and regulatory compliance across both facilities.

Success in this role requires a strong, hands-on leader who can drive plant performance through measurable metrics, accountability, and continuous improvement initiatives while fostering a culture centered on safety, quality, efficiency, teamwork, and customer satisfaction. The ideal candidate brings a strategic, multi-site leadership mindset combined with strong operational, analytical, and leadership capabilities to manage fast-paced manufacturing environments and achieve aggressive production and financial goals across both sites.

Key Responsibilities:

Multi-Site Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across both Fargo, ND and Lubbock, TX facilities, ensuring alignment in processes, performance, and culture.
• Oversee all day-to-day operations including production, packaging, maintenance, logistics, and warehousing across both locations.
• Standardize best practices, operating procedures, and performance expectations to drive consistency and scalability across facilities.
• Ensure production plans are executed effectively at both sites while maintaining high standards for safety, quality, service, and cost control.
• Evaluate plant capacity, labor utilization, and resource allocation across locations to optimize overall network performance.
• Lead cross-site collaboration to share learnings, improve efficiencies, and drive operational excellence.
• Establish and lead cadence of performance reviews with site leadership teams, holding leaders accountable to KPIs and outcomes.

Performance Management & Data-Driven Execution

• Own and drive plant performance through clearly defined, measurable KPIs across both facilities.
• Utilize data analytics, reporting systems, and dashboards to guide decision-making and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead routine operational reviews and implement corrective actions to address performance gaps.
• Champion visual management systems and real-time performance tracking across both locations.

Quality & Regulatory Excellence

• Partner with QA leadership to ensure consistent product quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance across both plants.
• Oversee CAPA programs and ensure effective root cause analysis and sustainable corrective actions.
• Maintain audit readiness for all internal, customer, and third-party audits at both facilities.
• Drive continuous improvement in product quality, traceability, and operational reliability.

Financial & Strategic Leadership

• Own financial performance for both facilities, including budgets, cost controls, and profitability targets.
• Analyze production costs, labor efficiency, and operational trends to improve margins and reduce waste.
• Identify and execute cost-saving initiatives while maintaining safety, quality, and service standards.
• Partner with senior leadership on capital planning, equipment investments, and long-term operational strategy.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across both plants.
• Identify system-wide bottlenecks and implement scalable solutions that improve throughput and reduce variability.
• Drive adoption of standardized work, process optimization, and automation where applicable.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects that enhance productivity and operational consistency across sites.

Leadership Development & Culture

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing leadership teams at both facilities.
• Coach and mentor plant managers, supervisors, and department leaders to strengthen leadership bench strength.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, engagement, and continuous improvement across both locations.
• Lead talent development, succession planning, and workforce strategy to support long-term business growth.
• Partner with HR to manage employee relations, engagement initiatives, and organizational effectiveness.

Safety & Risk Management

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture across both facilities.
• Ensure compliance with all OSHA and regulatory safety requirements.
• Oversee incident investigations and enforce accountability for corrective actions.
• Drive proactive safety initiatives, audits, and continuous improvement in risk mitigation practices.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience
• Proven success leading high-volume, KPI-driven manufacturing environments, preferably in food, agriculture, or related industries.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Engineering, Business Management, Food Science, or a related field preferred (advanced degree a plus).

Leadership & Operational Expertise:

• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple facilities, standardize operations, and drive performance across geographically dispersed teams.
• Strong business acumen with experience managing P&L, budgets, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Proven track record of improving operational KPIs such as throughput, efficiency, waste reduction, quality, and labor performance.

Continuous Improvement & Systems Thinking:

• Deep understanding of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement methodologies, and process optimization.
• Experience implementing scalable operational improvements across multiple locations.

Analytical & Technical Skills:

• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to leverage data and reporting systems to drive decisions.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, production planning tools, and operational dashboards.

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of OSHA, HACCP, and applicable food/agricultural manufacturing standards.

Leadership Competencies:

• Exceptional communication, coaching, and change management skills.
• Ability to influence and align cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate both strategically and tactically.

Travel:

• Willingness to travel 25%–35% between Fargo, ND and Lubbock, TX to maintain strong site engagement and alignment.

Company Benefits:

At Red River Commodities, we value our employees and are committed to providing a supportive and rewarding work environment. As a member of our team, you will enjoy a competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and opportunities for career growth and development. Below are some additional benefits that we offer. 

 

• On-demand pay available through Tapcheck
• Paid time off
• Paid Holidays
• 401k & company match
• Profit Sharing
• Employee Assistance Program

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