Plant Director Bartlett, IL (Fully Onsite) Bilingual English - Spanish mandatory. Do not apply if you are not fluent in Spanish.
Industry: Mandatory food and beverage or pet food manufacturing.
Company Overview:
Our client is a well-established international food manufacturing company with a strong global presence and a rapidly growing footprint in the United States. The organization combines an entrepreneurial mindset with a fast-paced, highly operational environment focused on quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.
This is not a traditional corporate structure. Leadership is deeply involved in day-to-day operations, priorities may shift quickly, and successful individuals are those who thrive in ambiguity while maintaining strong ownership, accountability, and operational discipline.
The company strongly values:
- Stability and long-term commitment
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Initiative and ownership mentality
- Direct communication and transparency
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Humility and hands-on leadership style
Position Overview:
We are seeking a highly operational and hands-on Director of Plant Operations to lead multiple manufacturing operations and oversee the full production organization within a complex food manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence across production, safety, quality, efficiency, continuous improvement, and organizational development. The Plant director will serve as a key operational leader, ensuring alignment between manufacturing operations and overall business objectives while maintaining a strongpresence on the production floor. This is a highly visible leadership role requiring both strategic thinking and daily operational execution.
Key Responsibilities:- Operations Leadership
- Lead day-to-day operations across 3 manufacturing facilities within a fast-paced food production environment
- Maintain a highly visible presence on the production floor and actively support daily operational execution
- Provide leadership, coaching, and mentorship to production leadership teams
- Ensure production schedules are executed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with business needs
- Drive accountability and operational discipline across all levels of manufacturing operations
- Support organizational development and succession planning within the operations team
- Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Lead and promote Continuous Improvement initiatives focused on productivity, efficiency, waste reduction, and operational performance
- Drive Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, TPM, RCA, CAPA, and CI methodologies throughout the organization
- Analyze operational processes and identify opportunities for optimization across production lines and manufacturing systems
- Establish and monitor operational KPIs, implementing corrective actions when necessary
- Support implementation of operational improvements, process standardization, and efficiency initiatives
- Safety, Quality & Compliance
- Champion a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and operational ownership
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, FDA, USDA, GMP, HACCP, and internal food safety standards
- Partner closely with Quality, Sanitation, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to support operational excellence
- Lead operational response and follow-up related to safety, quality, and compliance issues
- Ensure manufacturing operations consistently meet quality standards and customer expectations
- Financial & Strategic Responsibilities
- Manage plant operating budgets and support capital expenditure planning
- Participate in long-range operational planning and future manufacturing expansion initiatives
- Drive cost reduction initiatives while maintaining operational performance and product quality
- Support operational strategies focused on profitability, efficiency, and sustainable growth
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Quality, HR, and Executive Leadership teams
- Support new product introductions and operational readiness initiatives
- Participate in operational meetings and leadership reviews as required
- Foster strong communication and alignment across departments
- Qualifications & Experience 10+ years of leadership experience within international or multi-site manufacturing organizations
- Strong background managing large-scale production environments with multiple production lines
- Experience within complex manufacturing environments involving operational variability, multiple SKUs, and fast-paced production
- Fresh food manufacturing experience strongly preferred
- Proven experience driving Continuous Improvement and operational efficiency initiatives
- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, TPM, RCA, CAPA, and CI methodologies
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, develop people, and build operational structure
- Strong understanding of OSHA, FDA, USDA, GMP, and HACCP regulations
- Experience managing plant operations within highly operational and hands-on manufacturing cultures
- Exposure to capital projects, operational planning, and manufacturing expansion initiatives preferred
- Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Operations Management, Food Science, Engineering, or related field preferred
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing-related systems/applications
- Ability to work flexible hours when operationally required
- Key Leadership Competencies
- Hands-on, shop floor-oriented leadership
- Strong operational presence and accountability
- Ability to balance strategy and execution
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Adaptability in fast-paced environments
- Collaborative, cross-functional mindset
- Strong communication and team development abilities
- Continuous Improvement mindset
- Ability to drive change and operational efficiency
- CompensationABS (DOE)
Bonus:
20%Full Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Match, PTO, Relocation, Visa sponsorship for Mexican, Italian or Canadian citizens)
