Operations Manager

Position Summary:

General functions are to manage the entire Specialty Operations (Processing and Packaging); and the respective staffs to ensure product, personnel and plant safety; and the efficient operation of the facility. The Operations Manager oversees all aspects of the manufacture of products and is responsible for general supervision of all phases of plant operations including production, quality control, shipping and receiving. Also, responsible to build and maintain work teams; lead continuous improvement projects in areas such as customer satisfaction, employee safety, profit improvement, production efficiency, and scrap reduction; develop and lead implementation of plans to support corporate strategic objectives; and annual budget planning and execution. Responsible for performing all work within established quality control and safety guidelines.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

• Direct all aspects of operating at the facility including strategizing, planning, organizing, and evaluating of all functions, with the goal and result being measurable improvements to plant performance levels relative to: Cost, Quality, Product and Employee Safety, Customer Service, Materials, Supply Chain, and Morale/Culture.  
• Develop and communicate vision for facility and expectations of performance and methods. 
• Provide leadership for the successful day-to-day operation of the facility and establish, measure, and ensure performance against plant performance metrics.
• Develop and execute plant manufacturing budgets, manage plant expenses; monitor operation expenses and research ways to reduce costs while maintaining product quality.
• Work closely with quality personnel to review product consistency while monitoring scrap rates to determine trends and areas of improvement.
• Review established production schedules for manufacturing to ensure established inventory levels are met while operating at the highest efficiency possible. Ensures Supply Chain materials and receipt of such materials support the forecast, demand and production schedule.
• Remove production constraints; allocate human and equipment resources and direct production employees to attain all established goals.
• Work with purchasing manager to develop and improve supplier relationships.
• Hire and develop staff and team members including training, formal development plans and reviews.
• Reinforce compliance with legal, safety, productive manufacturing practices, and interface with regulatory agencies; ensure all members of the team are aware of safety policies to provide a safe workplace for our employees. Responsible for ensuring that all required documentation, recordkeeping, and reporting takes place as is required by law and/or regulatory agencies, (i.e. OSHA, DNR, FDA, EPA etc.) Respond to requests and work with these agencies as required.
• Maintain and support information that applies to HACCP and the Quality Manual. Assist in development of SOP's and Standard Work documentation and practices.
• Identify where performance gaps exist, and then devise appropriate plans for improvement and implementation of those plans.
• Collaborate with other functional areas such as R&D and Engineering to make changes/improvements to plant processes.
• Handle crisis management decisions for the facility.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field is helpful and preferred
• 10+ years of experience in milling operations, or related and applicable activities
• Thorough knowledge of milling operations
• Proficiency with basic computer skills, including Excel. Lotus Notes, Microsoft Word and other technical software packages, as needed
• Proven abilities to effectively manage, motivate and train employees
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude

Knowledge and Skills:

• Previous experience/strong understanding of budgeting/expense management with a basic understanding of financial and accounting practices
• Previous experience/best practices implementing and using continuous improvement/lean tools such as; Six Sigma, 5-S, Lean Manufacturing, Transactional Lean, etc. to drive improvement.
• Broad understanding of safety systems and enforcement of safety rules and policies.
• Proven leadership, team building and advanced coaching skills.
• Comfort with tactical, hands-on responsibility.
• Ability to thrive and be comfortable with autonomy and accountability.
• Ability to motivate, assess and develop direct reports.
• A keen sense of urgency and ability to take action when needed.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, including attention to detail and prioritization to achieve results.
• Excellent interpersonal, listening, verbal and written communication abilities.
• Ability to achieve positive results in safety, quality, productivity, cost and employee satisfaction.
• Superior problem analysis, solving and resolution; ability to work with teams and lead decision making processes in a team environment.
• Highly motivated, results oriented, driven.
• Ability to think ahead, schedule and plan accordingly with a strong ability to be adaptable and flexible.
• Comfortable at giving and receiving open feedback.
• Thorough understanding of GMPs and regulations pertaining to product safety and quality.