Director of Manufacturing, Pellets

Welcome to the Traegerhood: Our business is BBQ, and business tastes good. Traeger invented the wood pellet grill over 30 years ago, and we’re fanatics who are dedicated to bringing people together to create a more flavorful world. From our headquarters in Salt Lake City, we work tirelessly to provide a world-class experience to our customers, retailers, and especially our employees. If you’re a team player who’s dedicated to delivering top-quality results every day, then we want you to come cook with us. What You’ll Do: The Director of Manufacturing, Pellets is responsible for driving operational excellence across Traeger’s pellet manufacturing network — including owned facilities and contract manufacturers, both domestic and international. This role serves as the Pellet Business Operations Lead at HQ, with end-to-end accountability for production, quality, cost, safety, sourcing, compliance, new product development, and capital planning. The Director sets strategic direction, owns the long-range capacity and CAPEX plan, partners closely with Finance on budget and cost performance, and drives cross-functional alignment with Category Management, Sales, Operations and site leadership. How You'll Help Us Win: Operations & Strategic Leadership Architect and oversee a high-performing manufacturing network spanning owned facilities and contract manufacturers, domestic and international Define, track, and continuously improve KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, and cost — holding sites accountable to world-class performance standards Champion on-time, in-full, on-quality fulfillment as a non-negotiable operational standard Drive asset reliability programs, ensuring equipment uptime and maintenance standards support production commitments Embed a continuous improvement culture through LEAN methodologies and Good Manufacturing Practices, creating scalable systems that raise the floor across all sites Translate operational data into strategic insights, identifying systemic waste and driving measurable cost and efficiency improvements Own manufacturing performance reporting and executive accountability, ensuring leadership visibility into operational health across the network Strategic Planning & CAPEX Define and own the long-range strategic vision for pellet operations, including multi-year growth plans, capacity roadmaps, and business continuity strategies Lead long-term capacity planning and capital investment strategy, balancing growth ambitions with operational and financial constraints Lead scenario modeling and capacity analysis to evaluate new customer opportunities, network expansion, and make-vs.-buy decisions Build and manage the annual CAPEX plan, partnering with Finance to prioritize capital investments Build and maintain robust contingency and flex-capacity plans with contract manufacturing partners to protect supply continuity Sourcing & Supplier Management Own the end-to-end sourcing strategy for all pellet inputs, balancing cost, quality, and supply security across a diverse supplier base Build and steward strategic supplier partnerships — negotiating contracts, managing performance, and cultivating long-term relationships that advance quality and cost objectives Lead supplier onboarding, cost negotiations, pricing support, quality management, and lead time coordination Financial Management Own P&L accountability for the pellet manufacturing business, driving disciplined cost management while identifying opportunities to improve unit economics at scale Lead financial analysis on product uniformity, cost reduction initiatives, and manufacturing efficiency — translating findings into actionable business cases Compliance Serve as the enterprise compliance authority for the pellet business, proactively managing regulatory requirements and responding to customer compliance demands Lead environmental compliance across all manufacturing sites, including air quality (DEQ) permitting, annual reporting, and regulatory relationship management Lead FSC / EUDR compliance, including material accounting, audits, and training Own the GMP program with rigor — maintaining audit-ready standards and instilling a culture of quality discipline across the manufacturing network New Product Development Drive the new product development process from concept through commercialization, aligning cross-functional teams on technical feasibility, timelines, and launch readiness Manage end-to-end launch timelines across sourcing, production, and initial distribution Leadership & Organizational Influence Serve as a strategic business partner to Category Management, Finance, Sales, and Operations — influencing decisions, resolving cross-functional tensions, and aligning resources to shared goals Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise to commercial teams, enabling data-driven decisions on product strategy, customer requirements, and go-to-market execution Build organizational capability by developing, coaching, and retaining a high-performing team — creating clear ownership, growth paths, and accountability structures Foster a culture of transparency and alignment — maintaining strong communication rhythms with site leaders, external partners, and senior stakeholders to anticipate risk and accelerate decisions Lead and contribute to strategic initiatives that advance Traeger’s broader operational and business goals as the organization evolves What You'll Need To Succeed: 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing multi-site or networked production environments Proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams, with the ability to lead through influence across matrixed organizations Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets, managing cost structures, and presenting operational performance to senior leadership Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, resolve complex operational challenges, and make sound decisions under pressure Highly self-directed with the executive presence and organizational awareness to operate effectively across all levels of the business Proficiency with ERP systems, data analysis tools, and the Microsoft 365 suite; comfort leveraging AI tools to enhance operational decision-making Proven experience in the wood pellet industry is a plus Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management, Engineering, or similar field. Why You Will Love Working Here: Be part of the most disruptive force in outdoor cooking Join a true team working towards a common goal Culture of risk-taking, innovation, & quality So. Much. Food. Have an outdoor lover’s paradise in your backyard Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs 401k to help you plan for the future Tuition reimbursement Individual professional development programs & initiatives to help you grow professionally Great discounts on all things Traeger Did we mention all the food?