Director, Plant Operations
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Responsibilities
- Own Plant Performance & Strategy
- Set and execute the vision and strategy for on-time fulfillment of all production goals
- Lead and develop department leaders across production, warehouse, quality, maintenance, CI, and inventory
- Anticipate and proactively address operational challenges impacting performance
- Partner cross-functionally with corporate teams to remove barriers and drive results
- Ensure staffing plans align with production needs and operational goals
- Lead, Develop & Inspire Teams
- Coach and develop leaders to build a high-performing, accountable organization
- Create a culture rooted in Home Chef's "Customer First" mindset
- Drive employee engagement, retention, and a positive work environment
- Partner with HR to effectively manage employee relations, performance, and talent planning
- Lead regular communication cadences to align teams on performance, priorities, and goals
- Drive KPIs & Financial Performance
- Own plant-level financial performance, including cost management and budget adherence
- Establish and drive accountability to key operational KPIs (safety, quality, delivery, cost)
- Develop and execute action plans to improve performance and achieve targets
- Maintain a strong understanding of cost drivers and operational efficiencies
- Ensure Operational Excellence & Facility Standards
- Champion a "Safety First, Quality Always" culture across all levels of the organization
- Maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready facility
- Ensure compliance with GMPs, food safety standards (SQF), and regulatory requirements
- Oversee inventory management practices and WMS implementation
- Drive adoption of tools, systems, and technologies that improve plant performance
- Lead Continuous Improvement & Change
- Identify root causes of operational issues and implement sustainable solutions
- Partner with Continuous Improvement teams to deploy and scale initiatives
- Hold teams accountable to standard operating procedures while identifying opportunities to improve them
- Lead change management efforts across processes, systems, and teams
- What Success Looks Like
- Consistently delivers on-time fulfillment and production targets
- Builds and develops a strong, accountable leadership team
- Improves key KPIs across safety, quality, cost, and efficiency
- Creates strong alignment between plant operations and corporate partners
- Establishes a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement
- What You Bring
- 10+ years of experience in plant or manufacturing operations, preferably within food production
- Proven experience leading leaders in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
- Strong track record of owning and improving operational KPIs and plant performance
- Experience driving continuous improvement and change management initiatives
- Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and positive workplace cultures
- Strong business acumen with the ability to understand and manage cost drivers
- Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making skills
- Experience with WMS, ERP systems, and standard business tools (Excel, etc.)
- More About Us
Benefits
Additional Information
The Director of Plant Operations owns end-to-end performance of the plant, including safety, quality, fulfillment, and cost. This role leads a cross-functional leadership team and drives operational excellence in a fast-paced, high-volume food manufacturing environment. At Home Chef, this isn't just about running a plant. You'll play a key role in shaping how we operate, scale, and deliver for our customers every single day. From leading high-impact teams to solving complex operational challenges, this role sits at the center of our business and has a direct line to the customer experience. You will be responsible for building strong teams, improving performance, and driving consistent execution across all plant functions, while fostering a culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
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Company Intel
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