Factory Director- Food
Flora Food Group, Topeka, KS, United States
Title
Plant Manager/Director
Reporting to Head of Operations – North America
Position Overview The Plant leader will lead all operations of a newly commissioned dairy processing facility, ensuring the plant is safely, efficiently, and sustainably brought to full‑scale production. This role requires a hands‑on, strategic leader with deep experience in dairy manufacturing, strong technical knowledge of processing equipment, and the ability to build high‑performing teams from the ground up. The Plant Manager will be responsible for establishing operational systems, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory, quality, and safety standards.
Responsibilities
Oversee commissioning, validation, and optimization of all processing lines, utilities, and support systems.
Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all production and support functions.
Establish preventive maintenance programs and reliability standards.
Leadership & Team Development
Recruit, train, and mentor a new operations team, including production, maintenance, quality, and logistics staff.
Build a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
Provide clear performance expectations and conduct regular evaluations.
Production & Operations Management
Lead daily plant operations to meet production targets, efficiency goals, and quality standards.
Monitor KPIs such as throughput, yield, downtime, waste, and labor efficiency.
Ensure optimal use of raw milk and ingredients to maximize product quality and minimize losses.
Coordinate with supply chain teams to manage inventory, scheduling, and distribution.
Quality Assurance & Food Safety
Ensure full compliance with dairy industry regulations, including FDA, USDA, HACCP, GMP, and local food safety requirements.
Partner with the Quality Manager to maintain product integrity and respond to deviations or non‑conformances.
Drive a culture of food safety awareness across all departments.
Maintenance & Reliability
Oversee maintenance programs to ensure equipment uptime and long‑term reliability.
Implement root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment failures.
Manage spare parts inventory and maintenance budgets.
Financial & Strategic Management
Develop and manage plant budgets, cost controls, and capital expenditures.
Identify opportunities for cost reduction, process optimization, and operational excellence.
Provide regular operational reports to senior leadership.
Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance
Ensure a safe working environment through rigorous adherence to safety protocols and training.
Maintain compliance with environmental regulations related to wastewater, emissions, and waste handling.
Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
10+ years of experience food manufacturing, with at least 3 years in a high‑level leadership role.
Proven experience in major operational transitions.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams.
Deep understanding of HACCP, GMP, and regulatory compliance.
Preferred
Experience with automated processing systems and digital manufacturing tools.
Lean, Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement certification.
Total Performance Management, World class Manufacturing or like CI environment experience.
Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
What’s Next If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now!
Additional Information We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Flora Food Group is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles.
Flora Food Group is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias.
No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Flora Food Group. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.
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Reporting to Head of Operations – North America
Position Overview The Plant leader will lead all operations of a newly commissioned dairy processing facility, ensuring the plant is safely, efficiently, and sustainably brought to full‑scale production. This role requires a hands‑on, strategic leader with deep experience in dairy manufacturing, strong technical knowledge of processing equipment, and the ability to build high‑performing teams from the ground up. The Plant Manager will be responsible for establishing operational systems, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory, quality, and safety standards.
Responsibilities
Oversee commissioning, validation, and optimization of all processing lines, utilities, and support systems.
Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all production and support functions.
Establish preventive maintenance programs and reliability standards.
Leadership & Team Development
Recruit, train, and mentor a new operations team, including production, maintenance, quality, and logistics staff.
Build a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
Provide clear performance expectations and conduct regular evaluations.
Production & Operations Management
Lead daily plant operations to meet production targets, efficiency goals, and quality standards.
Monitor KPIs such as throughput, yield, downtime, waste, and labor efficiency.
Ensure optimal use of raw milk and ingredients to maximize product quality and minimize losses.
Coordinate with supply chain teams to manage inventory, scheduling, and distribution.
Quality Assurance & Food Safety
Ensure full compliance with dairy industry regulations, including FDA, USDA, HACCP, GMP, and local food safety requirements.
Partner with the Quality Manager to maintain product integrity and respond to deviations or non‑conformances.
Drive a culture of food safety awareness across all departments.
Maintenance & Reliability
Oversee maintenance programs to ensure equipment uptime and long‑term reliability.
Implement root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment failures.
Manage spare parts inventory and maintenance budgets.
Financial & Strategic Management
Develop and manage plant budgets, cost controls, and capital expenditures.
Identify opportunities for cost reduction, process optimization, and operational excellence.
Provide regular operational reports to senior leadership.
Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance
Ensure a safe working environment through rigorous adherence to safety protocols and training.
Maintain compliance with environmental regulations related to wastewater, emissions, and waste handling.
Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
10+ years of experience food manufacturing, with at least 3 years in a high‑level leadership role.
Proven experience in major operational transitions.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams.
Deep understanding of HACCP, GMP, and regulatory compliance.
Preferred
Experience with automated processing systems and digital manufacturing tools.
Lean, Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement certification.
Total Performance Management, World class Manufacturing or like CI environment experience.
Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
What’s Next If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now!
Additional Information We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Flora Food Group is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles.
Flora Food Group is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias.
No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Flora Food Group. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.
#J-18808-Ljbffr